Beacon leads rescuers to pilot in the waters off Florida

JUNO BEACH, Fla. – A tracking device helped rescuers find a pilot whose small plane went down in the Atlantic Ocean off Florida.

In a statement, the Coast Guard said 51-year-old Robert Lillard’s plane went down Thursday about 15 miles (25 kilometres) east of June Beach.

A signal from an electronic tracking device on the aircraft helped lead Coast Guard and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office crews to Lillard’s location.

The statement says Lillard was found floating on a raft. He had been the only person on the plane. No injuries were reported.

Sean Connett, command duty officer for the Coast Guard’s 7th District, says the rescue highlights the importance of having registered tracking devices on all boats and aircraft.