SEBAGO – The pilot of a small plane that crashed onto the ice at Sebago Lake on Saturday afternoon was rescued by ice fishermen who heard the aircraft go down nearby, Sebago’s fire chief said.

The pilot, who has not been identified, was conscious after the accident, according to Chief Ken Littlefield. He taken to Bridgton Hospital by emergency responders.

“He was very lucky,” Littlefield said.

The incident happened roughly 200 feet off Nason’s Beach in the town of Sebago. Reports began coming in to police and fire agencies around 4 p.m.

The plane remained on the ice late Saturday.

The man was transported across the ice by a snowmobile and a sled used by the fire department.

The ice in the area is roughly 4 inches thick, Littlefield said, enough to keep the small plane from breaking through on impact.

“He was fortunate that it has frozen over as much as it did,” Littlefield said.

It was snowing at the time of the incident. The cause of the crash is being investigated.

Officials at the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, which coordinated the response, were unable to immediately provide details about the pilot’s name or condition, or the type of aircraft involved.