Pilot who crashed into sea snaps smiling selfies and tells ‘crappy dad jokes' while waiting to be rescued
Canadian pilot Michael McDonald and his marine biologist passenger were about three hours into a daily flight over the open waters of Mexico's Gulf of California on April 18 when something suddenly went wrong.
The Cessna 182's engine 'just went silent' at about 1,500 feet over the ocean — causing the four-seater to drop at about 500 feet per minute while at least seven miles from land, he said.
Advertisement
'Three minutes is all we had left to play with,' he told CBC News of the time he estimated he had before crashing.
3 A Canadian pilot and his passenger survived a small plane off Mexico filming footage of their ordeal as they awaited rescue on April 18.
Michael MacDonald via Storyful
3 The pilot and marine biologist had been flying over the Gulf of California daily for over a month.
Michael MacDonald / Facebook
Advertisement
After failing to troubleshoot the issue, the pilot passed a pillow to his passenger, who was not otherwise identified, to cover her face, telling her to brace for impact.
The small plane finally smashed into the water while going around 70 mph, McDonald said — likening it to getting punched in the face.
'We went head first and flipped over, immediately blew out the windshield, and water came rushing in,' the veteran commercial pilot said.
'It was a bit of a punch to the face. It was kind of a surreal feeling. It was so sudden,' he added.
Advertisement
Amazingly, neither McDonald nor his passenger were seriously injured, and both managed to free themselves from their harnesses and activate their inflatable life vests.
3 McDonald has been flying planes since 2012.
Michael MacDonald via Storyful
McDonald's iPhone also survived in its protective case — and he almost immediately got a call from his company's office after they got an alert that something was wrong.
The pilot then used his phone to snap selfies and film videos as he and his passenger waited at least two hours before they were finally found and pulled to safety.
Advertisement
'Waiting to get rescued,' he says in one selfie video as he floats in a yellow life vest. 'Might be a while.'
MacDonald told CTV he tried to lighten the mood by talking and telling 'crappy dad jokes,' which he claims his passenger — who looked terrified in most of the snaps — enjoyed.
'I felt like I had a bit of an out-of-body experience, watching someone else do it. So, I was OK,' he says.
McDonald since said the marine biologist is like his 'little sister now' since going through the ordeal together.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Hundreds of sheep take over California mountain road: ‘Grass wasn't greener on the other side'
Ewe wouldn't believe it! More than 300 sheep were on the 'lamb' last week in California, according to police, who had to wrangle the flock after they ambled away from their pen. More than 300 sheep were on the 'lamb' after escaping from their pen in Santa Barbara. CHP – Santa Barbara Advertisement The wayward sheep wondered from their pen on Wednesday and onto the winding road in Santa Barbara, presenting residents with an abnormal traffic jam, according to a playful Facebook post released by the California Highway Patrol's Santa Barbara office. 'Over 300 sheep decided to take a little field trip near Mountain Drive,' the tongue-in-cheek statement read. 'Turns out, the grass wasn't greener on the other side.' 'But that didn't stop them from trying,' the police added. Advertisement The escaped sheep were strolling together on a curvy road that runs above the bohemian, a 'live-and-let-live' community of Montecito. Luckily, officers who arrived at the wild scene and were able to track down the stray sheep's owner and help guide them back home. 'Our CHP officers quickly hoofed it to the scene and helped the owner round up the wooly wanderers, guiding them safely back home to their pen,' the statement said. Photographs shared by the CHP show hundreds of sheep staring defiantly into the camera as they take over the serpentine roadway, causing an out-of-the-ordinary traffic jam. Advertisement Police were happy to report the flock of 300 escaped sheep is back where it belongs, and 'baaahck to their normal routine.' CHP – Santa Barbara Nobody was injured in the incident – nor were they fleeced. 'We're happy to report the flock is back where they belong, and everyone is baaahck to their normal routine,' the statement jokingly said. 'Just another day in Santa Barbara — where even traffic jams can be fluffy.'
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Texas wildlife center says it was given 60 days to move or shut down
A group of animal caregivers in the Lone Star State said they need the public's support after city officials gave them an ultimatum to either relocate or close their doors. The North Texas Wildlife Center, in a June 28 Instagram post, said it is "at risk of being shut down." "At this time, our organization is striving to be as resilient as the wildlife we care for," the North Texas Wildlife Center posted on its Facebook page Tuesday, July 1. "We need your voice. We need your action. We need your support." The facility, according to its website, helps rescue, rehabilitate and release orphaned and injured "native Texas wildlife." The center needs a new facility with outdoor space to continue helping local wildlife, the center's spokesperson, Rebecca Hamlin, confirmed to USA TODAY. Hamlin said the center, the biggest multispecies wildlife center in North Texas, operates out of a house its founders and president previously purchased. The center is permitted for all native wildlife, ranging from opossums, skunks, raccoons to songbirds, waterfowl, reptiles, and amphibians, Hamlin said. The facility, which consists of 50 volunteers and five staff members, has taken in more than 2,600 sick, injured, or orphaned wildlife since Jan. 1, a 50% increase since last year, according to Hamlin. "Our onsite team is caring for 200 animals daily and around the clock," Hamlin said. "Between offsite rehabbers (we have 50), we have 600 animals under our care for rehab to release back into the wild." Hamlin confirmed that the center's goal is to raise $250,000, and as of July 1, it had raised about $100,000. "We started fundraising for a bigger facility in April," she said. According to the center's June 28 Instagram post, it received a phone call from the City of Plano's Business Department informing the facility it was "not permitted to operate a facility that generates foot traffic from a residential area." "As a result, we have 60 days to find a new location or we will be forced to close our doors," the post continues. USA TODAY reached out to the City of Plano on July 1 but has not received a response. If a new location is not found within 60 days, the center will close, according to facility leaders. "This isn't about us − it's about the countless injured, orphaned, and displaced wild animals we care for each year, our volunteers who dedicate their time, and the community we serve every day," the Instagram post reads. "We're now in a race against the clock to secure a new property that fits city requirements." In addition to the donations, the center asked the public to share any information on "available properties, land, or partnerships that could help (them) relocate." The Facebook post includes links that allow people to help the center. Rehabilitation Wishlist: Volunteer Snack Wishlist: Purchase SWAG: To donate cash: PayPal: Cash app: $NTXWC Zelle: accounting@ Venmo: Mailing address: North Texas Wildlife Center, PO Box 830212, Richardson, TX 75083 Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@ and follow her on X @nataliealund. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: North Texas Wildlife Center says it has 60 days to move or close
USA Today
8 hours ago
- USA Today
Texas wildlife center says it was given 60 days to move or shut down
The North Texas Wildlife Center, according to its website, helps rescue, rehabilitate and release orphaned and injured "native Texas wildlife." A group of animal caregivers in the Lone Star State said they need the public's support after city officials gave them an ultimatum to either relocate or close their doors. The North Texas Wildlife Center, in a June 28 Instagram post, said it is "at risk of being shut down." "At this time, our organization is striving to be as resilient as the wildlife we care for," the North Texas Wildlife Center posted on its Facebook page Tuesday, July 1. "We need your voice. We need your action. We need your support." The facility, according to its website, helps rescue, rehabilitate and release orphaned and injured "native Texas wildlife." The center needs a new facility with outdoor space to continue helping local wildlife, the center's spokesperson, Rebecca Hamlin, confirmed to USA TODAY. Hamlin said the center, the biggest multispecies wildlife center in North Texas, operates out of a house its founders and president previously purchased. What kind of animals are at North Texas Wildlife Center? The center is permitted for all native wildlife, ranging from opossums, skunks, raccoons to songbirds, waterfowl, reptiles, and amphibians, Hamlin said. The facility, which consists of 50 volunteers and five staff members, has taken in more than 2,600 sick, injured, or orphaned wildlife since Jan. 1, a 50% increase since last year, according to Hamlin. "Our onsite team is caring for 200 animals daily and around the clock," Hamlin said. "Between offsite rehabbers (we have 50), we have 600 animals under our care for rehab to release back into the wild." Hamlin confirmed that the center's goal is to raise $250,000, and as of July 1, it had raised about $100,000. "We started fundraising for a bigger facility in April," she said. How long does the center have to find a new location? According to the center's June 28 Instagram post, it received a phone call from the City of Plano's Business Department informing the facility it was "not permitted to operate a facility that generates foot traffic from a residential area." "As a result, we have 60 days to find a new location or we will be forced to close our doors," the post continues. USA TODAY reached out to the City of Plano on July 1 but has not received a response. If a new location is not found within 60 days, the center will close, according to facility leaders. "This isn't about us − it's about the countless injured, orphaned, and displaced wild animals we care for each year, our volunteers who dedicate their time, and the community we serve every day," the Instagram post reads. "We're now in a race against the clock to secure a new property that fits city requirements." In addition to the donations, the center asked the public to share any information on "available properties, land, or partnerships that could help (them) relocate." How to help North Texas Wildlife Center The Facebook post includes links that allow people to help the center. To donate cash: Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@ and follow her on X @nataliealund.
