Ferry Capt. William “Guy” Mitchell and his crew were taking their lunch break on the upper level of the Anacortes ferry terminal Monday just as a small, yellow-and-white plane landed in Guemes Channel about a quarter-mile to the west and about 200 or 300 yards offshore.
Crew member Jon Barrett happened to look out the window and spotted the plane’s tail sticking out of the water, according to a police report.
“He called out to the captain to come over and see,” said Jenn Rogers, Skagit County’s communications manager.
Fellow crew member Emily Grober grabbed a pair of binoculars and spotted a man in a yellow float vest swimming toward shore. Barrett called 911.
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This photo taken by Anacortes resident Pauline Bonner shows Daniel L. Deshon’s yellow-and-white Cessna Skyhawk C172 flying low over Guemes Channel on Monday just before landing in the water.
“They all immediately went back down to the ferry boat to head out to go get him,” Rogers said. “It was great timing that they didn’t have any cars or anything on board.”
By the time the crew arrived, the plane had become fully submerged. The crew helped the man climb a ladder to come aboard, then they returned to the ferry terminal, arriving at about the same time as police and medics, at about 12:11 p.m.
“It’s so awesome and impressive that they were able to witness that and help,” said Chris Byer, a battalion chief with the Anacortes Fire Department.
Daniel L. Deshon, 53, of Friday Harbor, declined medical care, telling medics and police that he was not injured. Medics did, however, provide Deshon with a blanket as he was “soaking wet.”
Back at the ferry terminal with a dry sweatshirt and a warm beverage, Deshon told police that he had taken off from the Anacortes Regional Airport in his Cessna Skyhawk C172 when, at about 300 or 400 feet, the plane’s engine “just quit.”
“… after attempting to get the plane restarted, he started looking around for a landing area,” reads a police report by Officer Travis Dotzauer.
“… he turned the plane to the right because he would be closer to the shoreline and assumed he could swim to the shore,” the report continues. “Deshon said he slowed the plane down without stalling it and landed in the water. Deshon said the water rushed into the plane, but he was able to get the door open and grab his life vest, and bailed out.”
Deshon, who told police he works as a commercial pilot for American Airlines, could not be reached for comment.
“Deshon stated that he had been flying planes since he was 15 years old, and he never imagined anything (like) this would happen,” a police report written by Det. Sgt. Jackie Nations says.
According to flightaware.com, Deshon took off at 11:56 a.m. A minute later, he landed in the water.
Anacortes Police Corporal Janet Wilson spoke with several witnesses Monday, including Peggy Nordeen, whose home overlooks Guemes Channel. Nordeen and her neighbor had been outside doing yard work when they saw a small plane flying low.
“… she observed the plane to appear to be in control, so at first thought it was a seaplane that was equipped for water landings, but then realized it was not,” Wilson’s report reads. “She saw the plane splash down, then the occupant exit wearing a flotation device.”
The plane is believed to have sunk to the bottom of the channel. The U.S. Coast Guard has already made plans to retrieve the plane, said Community Service Officer Brent Lindquist.
The Port of Anacortes reported the incident to the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, said Executive Director John Dumas.
Detective Sgt. Nations purchased dry clothes for Deshon, and Officer Dotzauer later drove Deshon to the state ferry terminal so he could get home to Friday Harbor.
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