NHL player Paul Byron helped rescue pilot who crashed plane into Quebec lake

Montreal Canadiens player Paul Byron helped save the life of a seaplane pilot who crashed into a Quebec lake over the weekend.

The forward was on a fishing trip on Lac des Sables lake Saturday with his brother-in-law, father-in-law and family friend when they witnessed the seaplane fall from the sky and plunge into water.

The seaplane capsized in shallow water and Byron, his family and another bystander were able to reach inside the plane and pull the man out to safety, the Canadian French-language sports network RDS reported.

“Quiet morning fishing with Paul Byron [and] Jonathan Legault turned into a rescue of a man who crashed a plane a few feet away from us,” Byron’s brother-in-law Neal Leblond wrote in French in a Facebook post alongside images of the downed plane.

Byron and Leblond, however, credited Serge Labelle as the true hero who rescued the pilot.

Labelle was driving a jet ski on the lake when he also saw the seaplane crash down. He was the first to reach the plane and pulled the pilot out of the cockpit. Byron and his gang then rushed to lend a hand in the rescue effort.

“I want everyone to know it was Serge Labelle who rescued the pilot and should be recognized for his heroic actions,” Byron said on Twitter. “My father-in-law, brother-in-law, friend and I assisted in the rescue. As well as many incredible others on the shore. Serge is the Hero!”

The pilot, who was the only person onboard the plane, was rushed to an area hospital in serious condition, but is expected to live, authorities told the sports outlet Saturday.

Authorities are investigating what led to the crash.