By HANA KIM
6 News Reporter
KNOXVILLE (WATE) - Wake boarder Justin Jenkins and four of his friends able to rescue Michael Matvy, just after he crashed his private plane into the Tennessee River Sunday.
The plane is about 16 feet below the surface of the river, but crews on Monday had to delay bringing up the Cessna 150 due to the current.
Soon after take off, Matvy, 67, radioed to Island Home Airport saying the plane had lost power. He crashed into the river and the plane began to sink.
"It's completely surreal. It's like, did that just happen?" Jenkins said. He and his friends were on a boat nearby.
"I guess we were expecting the worst and luckily we get there and a guy bubbles up from the water. We yelled out to him," Jenkins said.
Matvy held onto the plane while Jenkins and his friends waded over to him. "I knew the plane was about to go down so we were able to get him away from that," Jenkins said.
As soon as Jenkins and his friends pulled the pilot to safety, the plane was gone.
Matvy's wife says her husband is physically okay, but shaken up and not ready to speak about the terrifying ordeal.
"A crash that violent, he was conscious, alert, coordinated and everything and had no major injuries," Jenkins said.
Jenkins also says it was the worst case scenario that ended in the best way possible.
The NTSB and FAA are investigating the cause of the crash.
The Knoxville Fire department says the plane went down with as much as 13 gallons of fuel, but it didn't spill into the river.
Michael Matvy held onto the plane while Justin Jenkins and his friends waded over to him. (source: (source: Matt Helton)
