Four passengers are breathing a collective sigh of relief after surviving a plane crash in Grand Bahama.

Police said the 45-year-old pilot of an out-boarding Piper Aztec twin engine craft crash landed into the mangroves about two miles east of the Freeport International Airport, in shallow waters just minutes into the flight.

The plane was reportedly having some mechanical difficulties, which forced the pilot to crash land while en route to Eleuthera.

The pilot and passengers, all residents of Freeport, escaped the crash without serious injuries and were transported to the Emergency Section of the Rand Memorial Hospital to be examined.

Grand Bahama’s Press Liaison Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Loretta Mackey thanked police officers, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF), staff members of the emergency response team at the Rand Memorial Hospital and staff at Freeport Aggregates Limited for their efforts to rescue the people.

ASP Mackey said the rescue ended at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday.

Central Detective Unit (CDU) officers as well as officials from the Aviation Department are continuing their investigations.

Drug Bust In New Providence

A 19-year-old Ponderosa Boulevard woman is in police custody after being busted with marijuana.

On Tuesday around 10:00 p.m. officers from the Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) executed a search warrant on the suspect’s residence and found the drugs.

The drugs weighed two pounds and have an estimated street value of $2,000.