Pilot speaks out after crashing, nearly drowning in NC lake

REIDSVILLE, N.C. (WGHP) — A 69-year-old pilot is sharing his story of survival after crashing into a Rockingham County lake and being underwater for nearly five minutes.

It was five minutes under water Cledith Blackwell won’t ever forget.

The pilot with more than six years of experience recreationally flies around in this 250-pound ultralight vehicle often.

“I’ve done a lot of flying out of Pittsboro,” Blackwell said.

But just north of Pittsboro on Tuesday afternoon, he attempted to go on another adventure at Warf Airport in Reidsville.

While taking off from the runway that ends beside Clarks Lake, high wind prevented Blackwell from gaining altitude.

“The harder I went, it seemed like the lower I got,” Blackwell said.

To avoid low-hanging powerlines over the lake, Blackwell made a possibly life-changing decision.

“I decided to last second take a suicide dive and turn right,” Blackwell said.

He hit the lake headfirst.

While struggling to get above water, Blackwell said it was his wife’s prayer before he took off that gave him the strength to keep fighting.

“And it was a good thing because the last few seconds I tried to get out, I didn’t think I was going to make it,” Blackwell said.

Thankfully, Blackwell made it to the surface and held on to a part of the vehicle sticking out of the water.

Soon after, Joe Rauch, who lives beside the lake, rescued Blackwell with his canoe .

A few days later, Blackwell is back on his feet and shared he has six more ultralight vehicles in his storage unit.

While he’s thankful his situation had a good outcome, he says he’s never flying in one of these again.

“After something like this happens, you just wake up and smell the coffee. I’ll be 70 years old in a couple months, and I want to at least be as old as my dad, which is 92,” Blackwell said.

Blackwell has some cuts and bruises and a lung infection which he is taking antibiotics for.

He called the man who saved his life an angel.

Blackwell said he plans to sell the remaining six ultralight vehicles he owns.

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