RAGGED POINT, Calif- What was supposed to be a routine fishing trip ended up as a survival story. Two men were rescued from their plane Sunday evening after a crash landing in the ocean near Ragged Point, north of San Simeon. 77-year-old Stanley Shaw and his son 36-year-old Stanford Shaw called air traffic control for help. "When they knew they were going to be landing they provided the Air Traffic Control Oakland Center with their location," said Gary Britton, a CHP Flight Officer.
After losing power to their plane, a Cessna 185 sky wagon pontoon, it began to take a nose dive toward the water going so fast the doors broke off the hinges. "Unfortunately they were over the Big Sur coast area and their only option in that area due to the rugged cliff and terrain was to land in the ocean," said Officer Britton. The two men were on the water for over an hour, battling 8 foot swells. Once the coast guard got to them the father and son stepped out on the wing of the plane. The coast guard chopper lowered a rescue swimmer down onto the aircraft with them. The plane then started to roll over on its side.
"They just stayed standing and straddling the right side pontoon as they lifted each of the occupants off and into the coast guard helicopter," said Officer Britton. The son, Stanford Shaw was last to be rescued. Just as he was lifted off the plane, it fully flipped over and began sinking. The Shaws were flown to Paso Robles Municipal Airport, lucky to be alive. "Medical checked the two men out, they were fine, a little cold on one of them, one had been in the water for a little bit, and then they took off."
