Photos: Firefighting plane crashes into Texas lake

By Leila Merrill

LIVINGSTON, Texas — A Fire Boss single-engine air tanker/scooper crashed into Lake Livingston around 5 p.m. Tuesday, KHOU reported.

The plane was one of several that the Texas A&M Forest Service mobilized to help with fires in the Corrigan, Texas, area.

The pilot sustained injuries and was rescued by citizens in a private boat and taken to shore, KBTX reported.

“Residents living in the Bridge View subdivision saw the plane go down into the water and immediately jumped into a boat and went after the pilot,” said Onalaska City Administrator Angela Stutts. “One of them called the fire chief directly as soon as they saw the plane go down.”

The Texas A&M Forest Service uses federal aviation contracts through the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management since it does not have its own planes.