Officer Dives Into Curlew Pond in Dramatic Rescue Attempt After Small Plane Crash

On July 16, a modest single‑engine aircraft clipped the water’s surface at Curlew Pond, just off Rocky Pond Road near Plymouth Municipal Airport. The plane overturned, its fuselage sinking into the dark, still water of Myles Standish State Park.

Police arrived on the scene within minutes, flashlights cutting through the evening gloom. One officer’s body camera caught the frantic exchange with dispatch: “There is somebody in the plane, but they can’t get out. I am making my way there now… I am going in the water.” The words were raw, urgent – a snapshot of a life‑or‑death scramble.

Without hesitation, the officer sprinted toward the water’s edge, stripped off his boots, and plunged in. The pond, averaging about 13 feet deep but reaching a maximum of 33 feet, was chilly and murky. Within seconds, a handful of local residents in kayaks paddled over, their oars churning the surface as they tried to close the roughly 20‑foot gap to the downed aircraft.

Witnesses later described the scene as chaotic yet strangely coordinated. “A bunch of people converged and tried to drag the plane to shore, but we couldn’t flip it over or get to a door,” said John Gurney, a bystander who helped in the effort. “The windshield had blown out when it landed. It was full of water. He was under there for quite a while… You’re out there helpless, you don’t know what state they’re in, you do what you can and hope for the best.”

Inside the submerged cockpit, the pilot—81‑year‑old Richard Carrara—was still alive when rescuers finally pried the cockpit open. CPR was administered on the spot, but despite the rapid response, Carrara was later pronounced dead at the scene.

Another eyewitness, James Campbell, recalled hearing the plane’s engine sputter low over the pond before it nosedived. “I was just sitting there and saw the plane come back around and didn’t hear anything, and then he nosedived into Curlew Pond,” he said, his voice shaking.

Authorities say Carrara was attempting to return to Plymouth Municipal Airport when the crash occurred. The incident prompted a swift multi‑agency response: local police, fire crews, and good‑Samaritans all worked side‑by‑side, forming a human chain that, while ultimately unable to save the pilot, demonstrated the community’s resolve.

Today, the body‑camera footage serves as a sobering reminder of how quickly tragedy can strike, and how ordinary people—officers, neighbors, paddlers—can become heroes in an instant.