Boat captain and crew help rescue passengers from a crashed plane

GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX/Gray News) - A boat captain and his crew carried out an impromptu rescue mission during what was supposed to be a normal fishing trip over the weekend.

Kyle Johnson and his crew were on their way to Chandeleur Islands when they saw a plane experiencing trouble over the Mississippi Sound.

“You never know what you’re going to run into at the Chandeleur Islands,” he said. “They are a really cool and magical place, and you never know what’s really going to happen.”

Johnson said they all were thinking that they hoped the troubled plane wouldn’t crash right before it plunged into the waters.

“It wasn’t a severe crash, but you never know what you’re walking into,” he said.

Seeing that the plane’s passengers needed help getting off the sinking plane, Johnson’s military expertise came into play.

“I told my clients, ‘Hey, look guys, I need you to do what I say. I’m in charge.’ I kept calm the whole time and had a plan the entire time,” Johnson said.

The waters were very rough, and both the boat and the plane were being buffeted by the waves, Johnson said. He and his crew worked to pull the passengers onto the boat and make sure they were safe.

“It was a sigh of relief for them because Chandeleur Island was very remote, 25 miles offshore with no cell phone service, and would take at least an hour for the Coast Guard to get there,” Johnson said.

Johnson said he plans to pack more safety supplies for future trips, including life jackets and urges others to do the same should they face a similar situation.

“If something would have happened with them and us, I would only have enough life jackets on my boat for me and my people, so bring more emergency equipment than you need and always have a plan if something goes wrong because you never know what’s going to happen out there,” he said.