Family: Plane's engine 'blew up' before crash in Polk County

BARTOW, Fla. (FOX 13) - Two men were rescued after their single-engine plane crash-landed at the edge of Lake Hancock, near Bartow, Friday afternoon.

The men, a grandfather and grandson, were taken to Lakeland Regional Health with minor injuries.

Polk County Sheriff's Office deputies used airboats to rescue 70-year-old William Gonzalez, of Valrico, and his grandson, 21-year-old Joseph Berninghaus, of Tampa, from the remote part of the lake.

Berninghaus was released from the hospital Friday night and Gonzalez is expected to be released Saturday.

A family member told FOX 13 News by phone that the engine "blew up" while they were in the air, but because "Gonzalez is an experienced pilot," he was able to save both of their lives.

Flight records show the Piper plane took off from Boca Raton at 12:22 p.m. It crashed just over an hour later, at 1:35 p.m.

The two were on a 204-mile journey to Lakeland and cleared to fly at  6,000 feet at 150mph.

Family admits this was a close call, saying good piloting and "something from above" saved their loved ones.

The NTSB will figure out exactly what went wrong.