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Two Mokulele Airlines pilots who spent a night in the ocean after their rented plane went down off the coast of Kona were released from the hospital Saturday.
“He’s doing well, he’s sunburned,” said Rick McMahon of his son, David McMahon, who was piloting the Piper Apache. “He’s got all kinds of rashes and burns on his legs.”
McMahon, 26, of Kailua, and Sydnie Uemoto, 24, of Kona, were trying to log flying time on a flight from Oahu to Kona when the plane went down at about 3:15 p.m. Thursday. McMahon told Uemoto to land the plane while he opened the door.
At about 11:30 a.m. Friday, a tour helicopter pilot spotted the two about 1-1/2 miles from the Kona Coast, swimming toward shore with life vests. They spent the night in a hospital after their rescue.
“The hospital was able to rehydrate him and get his vitals back to normal,” Rick McMahon said, adding that the two were exhausted and still recovering.