A Sandy pilot escaped serious injury after his plane crashed in shallow water in the Great Salt Lake Sunday afternoon.
Donald Zakraisek, 40, was flying from Tooele to Salt Lake Airport No. 2 in West Jordan when the plane lost power in harsh weather just before 1 p.m.The plane cartwheeled and landed upside down after hitting the water. Zakraisek was able to crawl out of the wreck but spent almost eight hours on top of the plane in the water before a ground rescue team from the Civil Air Patrol heard him yelling for help as they drove across a causeway nearby toward the position the plane had last been seen on Federal Aviation Administration radar.
County sheriff's search and rescue teams were able to reach the wreck in inflatable boats, then Zakraisek was flown by helicopter to Alta View hospital where he was treated and released later in the evening.