Watch: Plane Crashes in Ocean Off Crowded New Hampshire Beach as Lifeguards Rush to Save Pilot The incident occurred on Saturday in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire.

By Emily Rella

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

A nearly unbelievable moment was caught on camera earlier this week when lifeguards at a busy New Hampshire tourist beach rescued a pilot who crashed while flying an advertisement banner over the ocean.

The incident occurred at Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, on Saturday around 12 p.m.

In the clip posted to Twitter, the plane, a Piper PA-18, appears to be getting lower before the nose of the aircraft makes contact with the water, causing it to flip over forward and land with its belly up.

The pilot was the only person onboard the aircraft and was recused from the water by lifeguards.

"I was just an eyewitness to a plane crash on #HamptonBeach. A seaplane, carrying an advertisement, tried to land in the water only a couple hundred feet offshore," said witness Adam Bagni on Twitter. "It flipped upside down. Lifeguards ran out. Thankfully a man was seen swimming away from the wreckage. Like a movie."

Hampton Fire/Rescue said that the pilot was evaluated by medical personnel but was not transported to a hospital.

"Arrived about 30 min later, took a walk down the beach, and was confused about the plane sitting there on the beach," a second witness added. "Pilot did a really good job not hurting anyone!"

The Federal Aviation Agency sent an investigator to the scene, which was then cleared. The plane was returned to the property owner. The cause of the crash is still unknown.

Related: 8 Hospitalized After Boat Crashes Into a House in Missouri

Emily Rella

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

Nvidia's CEO Says It No Longer Matters If You Never Learned to Code: 'There's a New Programming Language'

At London Tech Week, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said even non-programmers can write code thanks to AI.

Franchise

She Quit Her Corporate Job to Sell a Refreshing Summer Staple — Then Made $38,000 the First Week and $1 Million in Year 1

With nearly $40,000 in first-week sales and $1 million in her first year, DeSario Turner's story is a blueprint for success.

Real Estate

Why Every Small Business Owner Should Consider Real Estate — Even Without Deep Pockets

Investing in real estate is definitely not just for tycoons. Learn more about where to begin and how to detect opportunities to set you up for future success.

Business News

JPMorgan Will Fire Junior Bankers Over a Common Practice That CEO Jamie Dimon Calls 'Unethical'

According to a leaked memo, JPMorgan is telling junior analysts that they will be fired if they accept another job in advance.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

Investment Firm CEO Tells Thousands in Conference Audience That 60% of Them Will Be 'Looking for Work' Next Year

There were over 5,500 people at SuperReturn International 2025, making it the largest private equity event in the world.