Norwich, Connecticut – September 26, 1970
At about 7:00 p.m. on the evening of September 26, 1970, a young couple from Montville, Connecticut, were flying in a single-engine aircraft over Norwich when the pilot was forced to make an emergency landing on the Shetucket River. The pilot landed the aircraft so skillfully that there was very little structural damage.
The area of the river where the plane came down is reportedly very deep, and 500 to 600 feet wide. As the aircraft gradually began to sink, the couple climbed on the roof. By chance, they were rescued by two teenaged boys who lived along the river, and happened to be paddling by on a homemade raft.
Source:
Providence Journal, “N. Y. Couple Killed – 5 Survive 2 Plane Accidents In Conn.”, September 28, 1970 (This article refers to another accident which occurred in Windham, Connecticut, on the same day.)