Jonathan Smith bought two tickets for a sightseeing biplane tour for his father’s 58th birthday — but his gift put father and son in mortal peril.
According to CBS News, the biplane crashed into a lake near Windy Point-Bob Wentz Park in Austin, Texas, July 2.
Video uploaded to Instagram shows a biplane crashing into a Texas lake and flipping upside down.
During the sightseeing tour, the biplane’s engine failed, forcing the pilot to crash land on the lake at around 96 kilometres per hour.
Smith told CBS News that he thought the plane heading for the lake was a joke being played on him and his father.
But as soon as they hit the water and flipped upside down, Smith unbuckled his father’s seatbelt and swam to shore.
Smith’s father, Thomas Smith, is fighting cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy.
Three passengers escaped the crash without any major injuries.
The pilot of the biplane said he is unsure why the plane’s engine failed.