WATCH: Newly released drone video shows pilot rescue in Oak Island

OAK ISLAND, NC (WWAY) — Newly released video shows the dramatic rescue of a pilot who was forced to make an emergency water landing earlier this month near the Oak Island Pier.

The video, captured by the Oak Island Drone Unit, shows the rapid response from rescuers nearby after the plan hit the water.

Rescuers guided the pilot, who was surviving on a small pocket of air in the cabin, feet-first under the water and out through the windshield. The extraction took less than 30 seconds.

The pilot, Mark Finkelstein of Oak Island, expressed gratitude to his rescuers in a message shared after the incident: “My deepest gratitude to all those who participated in rescuing and caring for me after my water landing … You were literally life savers!”

Earlier this month, Finkelstein visited both the Oak Island Fire Department and the Southport Fire Department’s Caswell Station to personally thank the first responders who pulled him from the water. He presented Chris Dunham, Chad Butchello, and Austin Lancaster with awards and a proclamation naming them “Honorary Admirals” of his newly established “Air Finky’s Maritime Division.”

The emergency happened around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 2, when Finkelstein’s single-engine plane experienced engine failure. Unable to return to Cape Fear Regional Jetport and seeing crowded beaches below, he opted to land in the ocean near 705 Ocean Drive. Members of the Oak Island Beach Safety Unit, Southport Fire Department, and Oak Island Water Rescue were already in the area on another call, allowing for a near-immediate rescue.

The FAA continues to investigate the cause of the engine failure.

Town officials praised the coordinated response of multiple agencies, including Oak Island Police and Fire, Southport Fire, Oak Island Water Rescue, Caswell Beach Police, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office, and Brunswick County EMS.