Maryland leaders honor emergency responders, good Samaritans credited for rescuing pilot from crash into icy creek

BALTIMORE - Gov. Larry Hogan and Maryland leaders honored the emergency responders and good Samaritans credited for rescuing a pilot who crashed his small plane into an icy creek in Anne Arundel County the day after Christmas.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan awarded Anne Arundel County Police Officer Elizabeth Myers, Maryland Natural Resources Police Officers Albert Leevel and Mark Miller and local residents John Jilene and John Jilene Jr. with governor's citations at Wednesday's Board of Public Works meeting.

"Through their swift intervention and heroic actions that day, a life was saved and tragedy averted," Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said. "To all five of these heroes with us this morning, we want to present them with governor's citations."

On Dec. 26, a pilot crashed his plane into icy Beards Creek shortly after taking off from Lee Airport.

Hogan said Jilene and his son jumped into kayaks and used shovels to break ice to get to the pilot who was in the icy water up to his shoulders.

"After recognizing the dangers of the situation, several residents and an Anne Arundel County police officer went into action to rescue the pilot," Hogan said. "They jumped into kayaks to reach the plane which was sinking in the icy water."

Hogan said Officer Myers also got into a kayak, and used screwdrivers to push out to the pilot.

The kayakers took the pilot to a Natural Resource Police Officer boat which took the pilot to an ambulance.