Coast Guard: Four rescued after Patterson-bound plane makes emergency landing

The U.S. Coast Guard rescued four people Tuesday from near the Atchafalaya River after an airplane on its way to Patterson was forced to make an emergency landing, according to a Coast Guard news release.

The rescue took place about 17 miles south of Patterson, the release stated.

Watchstanders at the Eighth Coast Guard District command center received notification from the Federal Aviation Administration at 4:59 p.m. that a Piper PA-34 twin-engine airplane traveling from Slidell to Patterson with four people on board was low on fuel, the release said.

The airplane pilot shut down the engines to conserve fuel and was forced to make an emergency landing. Watchstanders directed the launch of an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans, the news release said.

The Air Station New Orleans aircrew hoisted the survivors and transported them to Perry Flying Center in Patterson. One person suffered a minor injury to the arm, the release said.

Ken Perry, president of Perry Flying Center, said the plane landed in Bayou Chene. The four people on the plane included two pilots based at the Slidell airport, a photographer and special projects director for Edison Chouest at Port Fourchon, and a videographer from Houma.

They had been in the plane to get footage of a deep-water rig that was being moved to an offshore location, Perry said.

All four of the occupants looked all right, Perry said. Still, authorities encouraged them to go to the hospital, but they chose not to go, he said.