A seaplane carrying eight people made a hard landing in New York City’s East River shortly after noon on Sunday, triggering a rapid rescue operation that brought all occupants to safety. Two people sustained minor injuries but declined hospital treatment, according to the New York Fire Department (FDNY). The aircraft, a Kodiak 100, remained upright in the water and was later towed to a dock near the Skyport seaplane terminal at East 23rd Street in Manhattan.

The flight had departed from East Hampton, a coastal resort area on Long Island, and was approaching the terminal when it struck a wave, causing the left wing to dip and the plane to partially capsize, fire officials and police said. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated that the hard landing snapped a wing strut. Air traffic control was not providing services to the aircraft at the time, the agency added. A mayday call from the pilot was captured on radio recordings, and a police helicopter quickly alerted emergency crews. While some initial reports from South American news agencies suggested ten people were aboard, US authorities later confirmed that eight individuals—including the pilot—were rescued.

Witnesses described a swift response. Marcus Hurlburt, who was jogging along the river, told American media that he saw the plane hit the water with its left wing and praised the pilot for preventing a full rollover, comparing the manoeuvre to Captain Chesley Sullenberger’s 2009 Hudson River landing. Fire department boats reached the aircraft within roughly 90 seconds, according to a passenger account published in Brazilian press. Video footage showed the seaplane floating with one wing submerged as rescuers evacuated those on board.

The incident is the second involving a seaplane in the East River in less than a month. On 13 June, a small two-seater was struck by a wave during takeoff near the Throgs Neck Bridge; its pilot and passenger were rescued without serious injury. The FAA has opened an investigation into Sunday’s hard landing, and preliminary findings are expected in the coming weeks. No further details about the cause have been released.