Small plane smacks into kayaker when it loses control during takeoff, Oregon cops say

A 42-year-old woman was kayaking on the Willamette River in Oregon when a small plane crashed into her, officials said.

The pilot was taking off from a small gravel island in the middle of the river Wednesday when he lost control and smacked into the kayak, the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office said.

The kayaker was hurt but the extent of her injuries were not disclosed.

“The involved plane is equipped with tundra tires allowing for takeoff and landing in this area,” the sheriff’s office said on Facebook. “The pilot reports having previously landed and taken off from this area approximately 50 times.”

The woman was kayaking with another friend between Dayton and the Wheatland Ferry when the plane hit the kayak, injuring the woman.

Officials in a water rescue boat took her to a waiting ambulance on land, according to the sheriff’s office. The sheriff’s office did not say what condition the woman was in or how she was injured.

The incident remains under investigation, officials said.

This story was originally published August 5, 2021 at 2:50 PM with the headline "Small plane smacks into kayaker when it loses control during takeoff, Oregon cops say."