The pilot of a small airplane escaped injury Saturday evening after his plane crash landed on a beach on Saint Martin’s Island. The island is located in Lake Michigan, about five miles from Washington and Rock Islands. A haven for migratory birds, it is under the jurisdiction of the State of Michigan. Most of the island is owned by the Nature Conservancy. Shortly before 7PM, the Department of Natural Resources received a report that a plane, which had left the Washington Island Airport, was in trouble and was attempting to make it to Saint Martin’s Island. Warden Mike Neal joined a crew from the US Coast Guard that headed to the small island. However, we’re told, after the landing, a helicopter plucked the pilot off the beach. No word as the extent of damage to the aircraft or when it will be taken off Saint Martin’s Island.
