Oak Island, United States - August 02, 2025 Local pilot Mark Finkelstein executed a daring emergency water landing near the Oak Island Pier on August 2, 2025, and was pulled to safety in a swift rescue captured on video. At 7:33 PM, Finkelstein’s single-engine aircraft experienced engine failure. Unable to return to Cape Fear Regional Jetport and seeing the crowded beach below, he made the split-second decision to land in the ocean. The plane came to rest mostly submerged, leaving Finkelstein clinging to a small pocket of air in the rear of the cabin. First responders from the Oak Island Beach Safety Unit, Southport Fire Department, and Oak Island Water Rescue were already nearby and reached the aircraft within minutes. They guided Finkelstein feet-first under the water and out through the windshield, completing the extraction in less than 30 seconds. The Oak Island Drone Unit captured the full sequence, showing the tense approach, water landing, and life-saving rescue. Reflecting on the ordeal, Finkelstein wrote: “My deepest gratitude to all those who participated in rescuing and caring for me after my water landing … You were literally life savers!” On August 11, he returned to present rescuers Chris Dunham, Chad Butchello, and Austin Lancaster with a Special Proclamation and named them Honorary Admirals of his “Air FInky” Maritime Division. The FAA continues to investigate the cause of the engine failure. The Town of Oak Island thanked all mutual aid responders, including local police, fire departments, water rescue units, the U.S. Coast Guard, and Brunswick County EMS.