‘A very close call': Toronto doctor rescued, safe after small plane he was flying lands in water at Tommy Thompson Park
A witness described seeing an explosion with smoke and flames coming from the aircraft before it went down.
The 49-year-old pilot took off from the city's Billy Bishop airport and was on his way to Pembroke, Ont. when the plane's engine lost power, Toronto police Duty Insp. Lhawang Jongdong told reporters. Crews at the airport lost contact with the privately-owned Cirrus plane shortly after 2 p.m.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
Toronto boaters rescue pilot as plane sinks in Lake Ontario off Tommy Thompson Park (Rob Faulkner Video / May 2, 2025)
The man, the only person on board, suffered non-life-threatening injuries and refused medical attention, opting to go home instead.
'We're very fortunate to see this person come to land safely,' Jongdong said, calling the incident 'a very close call.'
Toronto police's Marine Unit was sent to the scene after crews at Billy Bishop Airport informed police they had lost contact with a privately-owned, Cirrus plane shortly after 2 p.m.
After the plane lost power, the pilot tried to turn back and return to the airport but wasn't able to make it, Jongdong said.
He instead landed on the water, with a parachute deployed and attached to the plane's tail, near the park also known as the Leslie Street Spit, a five-kilometre peninsula that is globally recognized as a key area for biodiversity.
The 49-year-old pilot, a Toronto doctor, was rescued by boaters already in the area near Leslie Street Spit on Friday afternoon, Toronto police said.
Doug Paulson photos
Doug Paulson, a recreational photographer and former pilot, had been enjoying the weather near Ashbridges Bay when he saw the plane coming in.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
'I thought he probably coming into the runway so I was going to take a picture of him, and then there was an explosion,' Paulson said.
He saw 'lots of smoke' and small flames coming from the plane before its parachute deployed.
As a dual Canadian-U.S. citizen, Paulson said he's often flown between Toronto and Nashville, Tenn. He's familiar with the plane model involved in the water landing and said it's 'quite uncommon' for it or any other aircraft that size to have a parachute attached to the tail.
Paulson said the parachute helped slow the plane to a reasonable speed by time it hit the water. Though he couldn't feel any wind on the shore, there was enough to catch the parachute and fill it.
'It kept pulling the plane back up so the plane did not sink, which is very interesting. Normally with an aircraft that size, if you open a hatch, it's probably going to sink,' he said.
In the moment, Paulson felt like he had stumbled on a film set and was watching a Hollywood stunt in real-time.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
'It was almost like it was staged,' he said. 'It was too perfect.'
Rob Faulkner was on a boat near the mouth of Ashbridges Bay when he heard a loud bang and saw the plane go down.
'We turned the sailboat around, came back, got within 20 feet of the of the plane as it was starting to sink and we rescued the individual,' said Faulkner, a Toronto real estate agent.
Faulkner said the pilot was wearing a life-jacket and had to jump off the plane into the cold water so they could help him come aboard.
The pilot told Faulkner his motor had exploded and his back hurt from the impact but otherwise he felt fine.
Faulkner estimated the whole ordeal — from when the plane first hit the water to when the pilot was moved to a police boat — took about 20 minutes.
A Toronto police boat circles above the crashed plane that sunk nine to 12 metres beneath the water's surface and about 200 to 300 metres from shore on Friday afternoon.
R.J. Johnston/ Toronto Star
According to flight data, the plane climbed to an altitude of around 4,400 feet and a speed of 175 miles per hour before beginning to drop.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
The same plane had previously made two round-trip flights from Toronto to Kapuskasing, Ont. last month.
The plane is submerged at an estimated nine to 12 metres beneath the water's surface and approximately 200 to 300 metres from shore, where police said it will remain overnight before retrieval efforts begin.
Police will be investigating the crash, Jongdong said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
16 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Artist drowns sculpture in plastic waste in front of the UN during plastic pollution treaty talks
GENEVA (AP) — As nations began a second week of negotiations Monday for a global accord to end plastic pollution, an artist heaped piles of plastic waste onto a large sculpture in front of the United Nations office. Delegates to the treaty talks pass by the sculpture daily in a reminder of their responsibility to solve the plastic pollution crisis. The talks are scheduled to conclude Thursday. Benjamin Von Wong, a Canadian artist and activist, designed the nearly 6 meter (18 foot) sculpture called the 'Thinker's Burden' and built it with a team. It's his take on the famous sculpture by Auguste Rodin, 'The Thinker' in Paris. There is a male figure in deep thought, like Rodin depicted. But instead of sitting atop a rock, Von Wong's figure sits atop Mother Earth while cradling a baby and clutching plastic bottles. A strand of DNA intertwines them to highlight the health impacts of plastic pollution. With the help of volunteers, Von Wong is adding plastic waste to the installation over the course of the negotiations to reflect the growing cost of inaction. He climbed a ladder Monday to reach the top of the sculpture and weave plastic bottles through the DNA. He put a plastic toy car in front. 'By the end of this week, we should have a sculpture almost completely drowned in plastics, however, the hope is, a strong and ambitious plastics treaty means that we can solve this problem once and for all,' he said. The Minderoo Foundation, an Australian philanthropic organization, was the largest donor for the project. Local nonprofits and community groups collected the plastic trash. Standing by the sculpture, Maria Ivanova, an expert in international environmental governance, said it 'wakes you up.' Ivanova is the co-director of the Plastics Center at Northeastern University in Boston. 'People don't change their minds because of facts. They do because of feelings,' she said. 'And this is where I think art is absolutely critical to shift the needle on policy.' Delegates and tourists stopped to ask Von Wong about his work and pose for photos in front of it. Michael Bonser, head of the Canadian delegation, called the artwork 'extraordinarily profound.' 'It gives us a sense, every day, of what we need to be doing inside the room, what we need to walk out with. And that's a deal that allows us to reverse the trend,' he said. 'That's going to be challenging, but I think it's possible.' About 3,700 people are taking part in the talks, representing 184 countries and more than 600 organizations. They are crafting the first global, legally binding treaty on plastics pollution. Many agree the pace of the negotiations needs to speed up. They arrived in Geneva with hundreds of disagreements to be resolved. The number of unresolved issues grew last week, instead of shrinking. Wednesdays What's next in arts, life and pop culture. European Commissioner Jessika Roswall said she's concerned about the lack of progress, and 'it's time to get results.' Roswall is commissioner for environment, water resilience and a competitive circular economy. United Nations Environment Programme Executive Director Inger Andersen told reporters it's still possible to agree on a treaty this week that ends plastic pollution. 'This is within grasp,' Andersen said. 'The window remains open to leave Geneva with this treaty.' ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
Calgary Herald
14 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
'We can't not remember them': Calgary marks National Peacekeepers' Day
As the names of fallen Canadian peacekeepers echoed through Calgary's Peacekeeper Park on Sunday, more than 100 onlookers sat in silence, remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of peace abroad. Article content The annual National Peacekeepers' Day ceremony drew veterans, politicians and families of the fallen to the southwest community of Garrison Green, where a memorial wall bears the names of Canadians killed on peacekeeping missions. Many of those names were marked with poppies. Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Since 1948, more than 150,000 Canadians have served on 69 major peacekeeping missions in some of the world's most dangerous regions. Of those, 339 were killed, and many more suffered life-altering physical and mental wounds. Those who served included soldiers, sailors and air force personnel, along with police officers, firefighters and paramedics. Article content 'They represented the finest our country had to offer,' Wright said. 'Their commitment, bravery and dedication in the most hostile situations often served as the brightest light in a world sometimes seemingly gone mad. Article content 'Canadian peacekeepers have come to represent peace for today and hope for tomorrow. But that peace and hope has come at a hefty price.' Article content Article content The program included speeches, prayers, poetry and the laying of wreaths at the monument. Among those in attendance were Mayor Jyoti Gondek and MLA Ric McIver, speaker of the province's legislative assembly. Article content Article content In the front row sat families who had lost loved ones. Murray Marshall attended to honour his son Steven, 24, an Edmonton-based combat engineer who was killed in 2009 after he stepped on an improvised explosive device while on patrol outside of Kandahar. Article content 'It's important that we keep remembering why we've sent our soldiers to some of the worst places on the face of the planet,' Marshall said. 'They've done their duty and . . . some have done it right to the end. Article content 'They've given all — we can't not remember them.' Article content Article content 'As a parent, (when) your child's found their career, you've got to back them and be happy for them,' he said. 'Unfortunately, we've seen the other side of the coin.' Article content Growing up in Lincoln Park, Steven spent his childhood in Calgary hockey rinks and baseball diamonds, his father said.
Toronto Sun
16 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
EDITORIAL: Where there's smoke there's ire
This May 29, 2025, aerial image courtesy of the Manitoba Government, shows wildfires burning in the Nopiming Provincial Park in the area of Bird River, Man. Photo by HANDOUT / Manitoba Government / AFP via Getty Images Last week, a group of U.S. Republican lawmakers said they plan to make a formal complaint about Canada's wildfire management to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the International Joint Commission, an organization that adjudicates cross-border disputes on water and air quality between Canada and the U.S. State lawmakers from North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin are calling for an investigation of Canada's wildfire management policies and are seeking solutions under international law. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account We have sympathy for people like Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, who has rebutted such criticism by pointing out that people have died, people have lost their homes and thousands of people have been displaced by the wildfires. Kinew accused the critics of 'playing politics' with the serious issue of wildfires. He pointed out that American firefighters are helping Canadians right now and Canadian firefighters rushed to California to help that state with its wildfire emergency last year. 'These are attention-seekers who can't come up with a good idea on health care or on making life more affordable. So, they're playing games with something that's very serious,' he told the Canadian Press. Canada's response has largely been to throw our hands up and blame climate change, without doing the self-examination needed to see what we can do proactively to prevent wildfires, rather than responding reactively when they occur. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. A 2023 report by the Fraser Institute points out that Canada's wildfire problem is not so much related to climate change as it is to forest management. It quotes a 2020 report by Cordy Tymstra and others in the journal Progress in Disaster Science, which found that our wildfire management came up short. 'A major barrier in Canada … is the inadequate funding to support the vision of an innovative and integrated approach to wildfire management,' it said. 'Despite the increasing occurrence of wildfire disasters in Canada, funding to support wildfire prevention, mitigation and preparedness has not kept pace with the increasing need to mitigate the impacts from wildfires and be better prepared when they do arrive.' The Fraser Institute urges this country to adopt 'more sane, real-world, real-time management of fire risk in Canada's forests, a practice that Canadian governments have failed at for decades.' Perhaps we should listen to our neighbours for once and make some changes. Columnists Columnists Toronto & GTA Sports Toronto Blue Jays
