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Four presumed dead in float plane crash
NANAIMO, British Columbia, (UPI) -- Divers in Canada were searching the waters off Vancouver Island Sunday for a float plane that crashed into the sea with four people aboard, authorities said.
Boats from the coast guard, Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Victoria Joint Rescue Co-ordination Center rushed to the site where the plane went down at about 12:15 p.m. Saturday near the First Nations community of Ahousaht, The (Vancouver) Province reported.
The pilot and three passengers are presumed dead.
The passengers have been identified as Hunter Sam, his sister Katrina Sam-English and their cousin Samantha Mattersdofer, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. said.
The pilot has not been identified yet.
Ahousaht resident Qaamina Sam, father and uncle to the three passengers, was in the second boat to reach the crash scene.
"I was too late to grab on (to the plane) and help," a distraught Sam said after it sank in 50 feet of water.
Several residents of Ahousaht were on the water in boats and saw the crash, rescue center coordinator Wayne Bamford said.
"Witnesses said it was quite a severe impact, so it's unlikely anyone could have survived this," he said.
Strong currents have hampered divers' efforts to locate the plane or those on board, the CBC reported.
NANAIMO, British Columbia, (UPI) -- Divers in Canada were searching the waters off Vancouver Island Sunday for a float plane that crashed into the sea with four people aboard, authorities said.
Boats from the coast guard, Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Victoria Joint Rescue Co-ordination Center rushed to the site where the plane went down at about 12:15 p.m. Saturday near the First Nations community of Ahousaht, The (Vancouver) Province reported.
The pilot and three passengers are presumed dead.
The passengers have been identified as Hunter Sam, his sister Katrina Sam-English and their cousin Samantha Mattersdofer, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. said.
The pilot has not been identified yet.
Ahousaht resident Qaamina Sam, father and uncle to the three passengers, was in the second boat to reach the crash scene.
"I was too late to grab on (to the plane) and help," a distraught Sam said after it sank in 50 feet of water.
Several residents of Ahousaht were on the water in boats and saw the crash, rescue center coordinator Wayne Bamford said.
"Witnesses said it was quite a severe impact, so it's unlikely anyone could have survived this," he said.
Strong currents have hampered divers' efforts to locate the plane or those on board, the CBC reported.
