Two Sunair Aviation employees pulled a pilot from the water Thursday morning after he crashed near the Leesburg International Airport.

  • Small plane crashed near Leesburg International Airport
  • Workers with Sunair Aviation helped the pilot

Authorities say a small plane with one person onboard crashed short of Runway 3 and into a marshy area a little after 11 a.m. 

Cody Shackelford and Austin Wyndham​ work at Sunair Aviation, which handles things like aircraft movement and fueling at the airport. 

They said when they heard about the accident, they jumped into a golf cart and drove down to the area. They waded into the swamp up to their necks and started yelling the pilot's name.  

"He finally called us and let us know he was OK, which was a huge relief because you don’t know what you’re walking up on," said Shackelford. 

"He said he was fine. I think he probably made a good landing. He knew it was coming, he popped the door so the door jam didn’t get stuck to make sure he could get out," said Wyndham.  

Wyndham says the man told him he lost power as he was coming in for a landing. 

Authorities say the pilot was evaluated for injuries and refused further medical attention.

The FAA is now investigating.