Two people are dead, two are injured and two escaped unharmed after their float plane crashed north of Tofino on Vancouver Island earlier today.
Just before 4 p.m. crews located the crash site near Boat Bay, about three nautical miles from where the plane took off in Hesquiaht Lake. There were six adults onboard, one pilot and five passengers. Two were found deceased and four were suffering various degrees of injury. The four survivors have been taken to hospitals on Vancouver Island.
The identities of the crew and passengers has not been released.
The Air Nootka Dehavilland Beaver had picked up five hikers at around 10:20 a.m. from Hesquiaht Lake and was travelling to Gold River. Three planes, including the downed plane were travelling together and in the air at the same time, says Bill Yearwood Canadian Transportation Safety Board investigator.
Just three minutes after taking off from Hesquiaht Lake (near Hot Springs Cove), the pilot sent out a distress call.
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Air Nootka confirmed they lost radio contact with one of their planes.
Two cormorant helicopters carrying six search and rescue technicians searched for the plane and the crash site was located Friday afternoon.
Weather conditions in the area hampered the search.
Air Nootka provides charter service to any community or location that is accessible by float plane, and currently operates two types of floatplanes, a Cessna 185 and two DeHavilland Beavers.
Yearwood says having the crash site on land is key to the investigation. RCMP will secure the site overnight and assist the CTSB in their investigation.
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