Dramatic moment: Maryland cop jumps in kayak and uses SCREWDRIVER to pull herself across ice-covered creek to rescue downed pilot
- The stunning video shows Anne Arundel County Police Department officer Elizabeth Myers rushing to the aid of the 71-year-old pilot last week
- Footage retrieved from the officer’s bodycam shows the rescue on December 26
- The pilot, identified as Steve Couchman of Prince Frederick, Maryland, flew a single-engine Piper Cherokee aircraft
- Couchman was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries
A Maryland police officer jumped into a kayak and sped across an ice-covered river with two screwdrivers – instead of a set of paddles – to save a pilot who had crashed his plane.
Dramatic video shows Officer Elizabeth Myers with the Anne Arundel County Police Department rushing to the pilot’s aid after the single-engine plane crashed into the frozen waters of Beards Creek. Myers was assisted by fellow kayakers during the joint rescue mission.
The clip, retrieved from the officer’s bodycam, shows the aftermath of the December 26 crash.
The pilot, Steve Couchman, 71, of Prince Frederick, Maryland, can be seen in the distance as Myers musteres all her strength using two screwdrivers to help her kayak move quickly across the frozen ice.
The dramatic video shows female Anne Arundel County Police Department officer Elizabeth Myers (pictured) rushing to help planes that, using two screwdrivers instead of oars, flew into the frozen waters of Beards Creek to help with the rescue mission help
As the officer approaches the scene, two kayakers from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Police Department show up and pull the pilot to safety.
Couchman was transported first to Annapolis Landing Marina and then to Anne Arundel Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.
The Anne Arundel County Police Department said in a news release, “Oars don’t work on ice, but screwdrivers do.”
Couchman was the only occupant flying a single-engine Piper Cherokee airplane before the plane crashed last week. Debris from the plane’s wheel could be seen in footage scattered across the icy bed.
According to preliminary investigations, the plane took off from Lee Airport in Edgewater, Maryland. The plane’s engine began to sputter. Witnesses told police after hearing the stuttering noise they heard the plane crash into the creek, BayNet reported.
At approximately 10:30 a.m., Maryland State Police were dispatched to the scene from Glen Burnie and Annapolis barracks.
Two civilians who were nearby and an off-duty officer from the Anne Arundel County Police Department at the time intervened. Three kayaks were in the water trying to rescue the man.
As the plane sank into the frozen water, the pilot managed to exit the plane and stand on the wing. Once the kayakers were close enough, the pilot was able to grab onto one of them to stay afloat.
The pilot, identified as Steve Couchman of Prince Frederick, Maryland, was flying a single-engine Piper Cherokee aircraft before it crashed in the icy waters of Beards Creek during the December 26 crash. Couchman was the sole occupant and sustained non-life-threatening injuries
The pilot, identified as Steve Couchman of Prince Frederick, Maryland, flew a single-engine Piper Cherokee aircraft
The Maryland State Police Department tweeted their gratitude to everyone who helped during the joint rescue effort after the single-plane plane crashed in Beards Creek
Maryland Department of Natural Resources police officers responded to the harrowing scene by boat.
Upon arrival, one of the officers cut through the cold, icy water and dragged the pilot to safety, where he was then taken to the hospital.
None of the kayakers were injured during the rescue operation.
Lt. Jennifer Macallair of Anne Arundel County Fire and EMS said: “With temperatures like I said in the 30s, hypothermia can set in in minutes.
“And so their quick actions – I think today definitely got a positive result.”