MYAKKA CITY, Fla. — A small plane crashed early Tuesday morning in Manatee County.
The sheriff's office said the Grumman American AA-5 fixed wing, single-engine aircraft went down in the Myakka River on the Triangle Ranch, not far from Miarcachee Road and Clay Gully Road in Myakka City.
That was around 4 a.m.
Nobody on the ranch knew the plane was there for hours. Around noon, the ranch discovered the prop plane upside-down in the water and immediately contacted emergency crews.
"We found the plane upside down, so we called 911 right away. They didn't know if somebody was there or where he was at. That's why we had search and rescue, they were actively looking for him," Leanne McKendree, the owner of the property where the plane crashed said.
The Manatee County Sheriff's Office was dispatched, along with Manatee Search and Rescue, East Manatee Fire Rescue and the Sarasota Air Unit. Together, they searched for the pilot but could not find anybody aboard the plane.
"He did make a phone call to the NTSB, but nobody locally knew what had happened until the people that own this property found the aircraft," Randy Warren with the Manatee County Sheriff's Office said.
Warren says the pilot was also the owner of the plane. Records show the owner is 65-year-old Barry Squire. He's a licensed pilot, mechanic and flight instructor.
"Anytime these deputies find a plane, especially in some of these rural areas that are in the water, you immediately realize this might not have a good ending, but fortunately the pilot was able to get out. It's good to know he wasn't seriously injured," Warren said.
As it turned out, the pilot was OK. Deputies say the individual had managed to climb out of the plane after the overnight crash, get home and contact the National Transportation Safety Board.
The cause of the crash is not yet known. The NTSB confirmed it was investigating the matter.
The board also confirmed the plane took off from Fort Pierce, Florida.
FAA records indicate the plane's owner is from Sarasota.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.