Jupiter's MarineMax General Manager Rescues 10 People from Sinking Seaplane in Bimini

What was supposed to be a weekend getaway for Nick Pavlakis turned into a real-life rescue on the morning of August 1.

Pavlakis, the general manager of MarineMax Jupiter, was with a group of clients near the Bimini islands when a single-engine Cessna seaplane struck a dock while attempting to take off from a nearby resort and began rapidly sinking.

"I saw a seaplane floating, so I grabbed the four closest guys I had with me, came out of the slip super-fast and got over there in about 30 seconds," Pavlakis recalled. "I thought the plane was just not under command, but then when I pulled alongside of it, I heard the water bubbling and I thought, 'Man, this plane is going down quick.'"

According to published reports, the Cessna was carrying eight American tourists and attempting to take off around 10 a.m. when heavy boat traffic forced the pilot to seek a different departure route. The aircraft veered left, failed to respond to corrective actions, struck a dock, stalled, and eventually sank in approximately 100 feet of water.

Pavlakis, navigating a Boston Whaler 420 Outrage sportfishing boat, and others moved quickly to evacuate all ten people aboard — two pilots and eight passengers — before the aircraft capsized. All luggage was also retrieved from the plane. The pilot and co-pilot made it out seconds before it rolled.

"Everything was saved except for the plane itself," Pavlakis said. No injuries were reported.

For Pavlakis, a former boat captain who built his career at MarineMax before becoming general manager of the Jupiter location, the response came naturally.

"Instincts kick in," he said. "I didn't really think about it. I just did it. Right place, right time, right people. I want to be very clear — I do not believe in coincidences. I do believe in God, and I do believe that this was all in God's hands.

Originally reported / image by: Palm Beach Post