Coast Guard Suspends Search For Person After Small Plane Crashes In Suffolk County Harbor

PORT JEFFERSON, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- The U.S. Coast Guard on Sunday suspended a search for a person after a small plane crashed in Setauket Harbor in Suffolk County.

Four people were on board the Piper PA 28 aircraft as part of a birthday celebration when it made a forced landing less than one mile offshore around 11 p.m. Saturday. Three people were rescued, but one was not found, CBS2's Valerie Castro reported.

"Around 11, I heard something low flying over the house. I thought it was a plane, it worried me a little bit," East Setauket resident Carl Bongiorno told WCBS 880's Ginny Kosola.

The Suffolk County Police said in a statement that student pilot Austricio Ramirez, 25, was flying the plane when it began experiencing difficulties and turned over the controls to instructor pilot Nelson Gomez, 36.

Gomez landed the plane in the harbor and all four people on board were able to exit the plane. Ramirez, Gomez, and Wady Perez, 25, were rescued by Suffolk County Police Officers.

"The Suffolk County police officers commandeered kayaks from local residences, and went out into the water, and were able to keep two passengers – two victims – afloat while the Marine Bureau arrived and rescued those individuals," said Suffolk County police Commissioner Timothy Sini.

A fourth man, 23-year-old Gerson Salmon-Negron of Queens, has not been found.

The Coast Guard searched for Salmon-Negron for 18 hours, covering more than 90 square miles, before calling the search off.

Ramirez, Gomez and Perez were taken to Stony Brook University Hospital where they were treated and released.

Late Sunday, CBS2's Castro spoke with Salmon-Negron's mother, Ivette Salmon. She said she hoped her son would return home alive even though he is the only person still missing.

"I want him to show up," Salmon said.

Salmon said she did not even know her son was missing until the morning.

"When the detective came to my house, I didn't know anything," she said. "I hope (they find him). I just want to see him again."

Salmon said she was maintaining hope even though crews did not find her son.

"We have some expectations because they didn't find anything – the body or him," she said. "I just want
whoever can walk around and look for him to bring him back to me."

CBS2's Castro also spoke with Salmon-Negron's girlfriend, who said out of the group, her boyfriend was the only one who really knew how to swim.

The survivors said Salmon-Negron pushed them out of the plane once it crashed so they wouldn't drown with the wreckage. They said they saw him swim to shore.

The men left Fitchburg, Massachusetts, and were returning to Republic Airport in Farmingdale at the time of the crash.

Suffolk County police will resume the search on Monday. The Coast Guard said it will no longer be involved.

The Federal Aviation Administration was investigating the crash late Sunday.