(Photo : SAKIS MITROLIDIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Rescuers are looking for nine individuals who are missing after a float plane crashed in Mutiny Bay, Washington, on Sunday afternoon, according to authorities.
The Coast Guard reported that a float plane that had nine adults and one child on board crashed on Sunday in a bay about 30 miles north of Seattle, Washington.
The body of one deceased person was pulled from the sea while nine more people were still missing.
Several Authorities Respond to Plane Crash in Mutiny Bay, Washington
The Island County Sheriff, Snohomish County Sheriff, and Coast Guard were among the organizations that sent responders to the site at Mutiny Bay. Around 3:11 PM PST, according to the Coast Guard, it reacted to reports of a plane accident. The aircraft, as-reported-by Coast Guard, was headed towards Seattle Tacoma International Airport. Several boats were visible in the water, and a Coast Guard helicopter could be seen flying overhead in the witness-posted video.
#Correction - The Coast Guard is searching for 10 persons associated with the crash (9 Adults and 1 child). Additionally, the plane was bound for Renton.
— USCGPacificNorthwest (@USCGPacificNW) September 5, 2022
Despite prior claims to the contrary, the USCG Pacific Northwest tweeted late Sunday night that the aircraft was headed for Renton, Washington. A witness recorded video of multiple boats in the ocean and what seemed to be a Coast Guard helicopter flying overhead.
Rescue helicopters, boats, and aircraft were sent out by the Coast Guard to start their search. According to a USCG release, first responders from South Whidbey Fire, Island County Sheriff's Office, and Snohomish County Sheriff's Office are also there, as per Fox News.
Surface Safety Zone Has Been Placed Near The Incident
Initially, it was thought that there were nine persons on board in all, but the Coast Guard later confirmed that there were ten people on board, including the pilot. The jet crashed while en route to Renton Municipal Airport after taking off from Friday Harbor, a well-known tourist site in the San Juan Islands, according to the Coast Guard.
According to the Coast Guard, the plane took off from Friday Harbor, a major tourist location in the San Juan Islands, and was on its way to Renton Municipal Airport when it crashed.
Northwest of Seattle, in Mutiny Bay, off Whidbey Island, a crash took place. As per Flightradar24, the float plane was a 55-year-old de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter. It had been in the air for 19 minutes before crashing, according to Daily Mail.
In accordance with coast guard, a surface safety zone has been established around the collision site. Lieutenant Jon Gabelein of the South Whidbey fire department, witnesses witnessed the plane fast descend toward the sea and hit the water.
He said that it would be difficult for the authorities to continue the search efforts after dark. "We will keep searching for wreckage in the region as time goes on, following the tide and current; we will have lights and the aircraft has night capability," he added.
In the Puget Sound area, float planes are commonly utilized to transport tourists between Seattle and the picturesque San Juan Islands. Six persons lost their lives in a midair crash between two Alaskan sightseeing flights in May 2019, Float aircraft are commonly employed to ferry visitors between Seattle and the picturesque San Juan Islands in Puget Sound.
Six persons were killed in a midair crash between two Alaskan tourist flights in May 2019, Independent reported.
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