Told Rescuers He Experienced "Some Kind Of Fuel Problem"

A pilot attempting to fly from New York to Chippewa Falls, WI, "experienced some kind of fuel problem" and was forced to ditch his 1966 Cessna 150 in Lake Huron. The pilot, 42-year-old Michael Trapp, reportedly survived 17 hours in the lake's 70 degree water before being rescued by a fishing boat.

The accident occurred Tuesday evening, according to msnbc.com. In a news release, Huron county sheriff Kelly Hanson said "Upon impact, the airplane flipped over. He had prepared for impact by opening his door, which allowed him to take off his seatbelt once under water. He then escaped the airplane as it sank seconds later."

Hanson said Trapp survived by swimming, floating, and treading water, swimming some 15 miles towards lights on the horizon before being plucked from the water by the fishing vessel Eagle's Nest. Hanson said he commented "if a 13 year old can swim the English Channel, I should be able to accomplish this."

The airplane has not been recovered, and given where it went down, that's pretty unlikely.

FMI: www.co.huron.mi.us/sheriff.asp