(NewsNation) —A small airplane crashed into a lake in a busy part of Austin, Texas on Thursday, in an event that could have been far worse if not for the actions of the pilot and a nearby paddleboarder.

The small Cessna plane went down in Lady Bird Lake in Austin, miraculously avoiding nearby parks and neighborhoods. The pilot of the plane survived after a nearby paddleboarder rescued him from the crash and brought him to safety.

Nicholas Compton was the paddleboarder who bravely grabbed a life jacket and went to aide the downed pilot.

“There was smoke in the plane so I think he was very out of it, so we just put the life jacket on (him),” Compton said. “There was minimal conversation, we were just really focused on getting him to the shore.”

The pilot was a game warden doing a test flight over Austin when he radioed in to the airport, warning an emergency landing might be in order for his craft. He never made it to the airport, instead crashing into the lake.