Fort Myers, FL - A Southwest Florida pilot narrowly escaped a tragic accident on Sunday when his ultralight aircraft crashed into the Caloosahatchee River near Fort Myers.
The pilot, a former commercial airline pilot, sustained four fractured vertebrae and a minor cut during Sunday's accident.
Investigators say the crash resulted from a control mishap while the pilot was landing the aircraft.
A Fort Myers Police Department officer found the pilot clinging to the floating wreckage near the I-75 bridge and rescued him.
The pilot was hospitalized due to his injuries.
Despite doctors' advice, the pilot reportedly discharged himself after being admitted to the hospital.