A Cape Coral man piloting an experimental, single-engine plane crashed into Gulf waters near Blind Pass on Sunday afternoon, escaping with only minor injuries thanks to some fast-thinking boaters who came to his rescue only moments after impact.

According to the official incident report issued Monday morning by the Sanibel Police Department, Kleber Dunklin Murrey, 55, of Northwest 9th Place in Cape Coral, was traveling eastbound above Captiva towards Sanibel at 70 to 75 miles per hour, approximately 100 to 150 feet off the ground.

Murrey attempted to steer his vehicle to the left, in the direction of Sanibel, when he lost engine power. Once the engine stalled and Murrey was unsuccessful at restarting the vehicle, the plane dove — nose down — into the Gulf.

At 1:40 p.m., several 9-1-1 calls came in to the Sanibel Police Department reporting the crash. Units responding to the area discovered the crashed aircraft partially submerged between 100 and 150 feet from shore, approximately 500 yards east of Blind Pass.

Prior to police arriving on scene, Murrey was pulled out of the aircraft by Theis and Cornelia Pickenpack of Naples, who were boating nearby. Officer John Jakubowski and Joe Nygaard of the Sanibel Fire Rescue District were transported by a passerby on a personal watercraft — who was not identified in the report — to the Pickenpack’s vessel, where they assessed Murrey for injuries.

“Murrey suffered lacerations to his left shin and possibly a broken leg,” the report stated. “He also complained of neck pain and had lacerations on his face and nose.”

In addition to the Sanibel Police Department and Sanibel Fire Rescue District, responding agencies included the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Coast Guard, Captiva Fire Department, Lee County Emergency Medical System, U.S. Fish & Wildlife and the Florida Wildlife Commission.

Murrey was transported via LCSO boat to shore, where he was transferred to the Captiva Fire Department’s Gator utility vehicle. He was then airlifted via LCEMS helicopter to Lee Memorial Hospital.

The National Transportation Safety Board was contacted and is investigating the crash, the second aircraft accident near Sanibel in three months. On Aug. 17, MEDSTAR 1 – Lee County’s critical care air ambulance service – went down in waters off of Upper Captiva with three crew members aboard. No serious injuries were reported.