11 people rescued after seaplane crashes off Washington coast
KING, MONICA SCOTTDAVE EASTMAN, CNN
By Martin Goillandeau, CNN
(CNN) — Multiple people have been rescued after a seaplane carrying 11 people made an emergency landing Thursday off the coast of Washington, prompting a multi-agency search and rescue operation.
All 11 people, a pilot and 10 passengers, aboard the Kenmore Air seaplane have been accounted for after the plane made an emergency landing and caught fire near Sucia Island in the San Juan Islands, the US Coast Guard told CNN.
Four people were transported to hospitals with serious injuries, CNN affiliate KING reported citing a Kenmore Air spokesperson. One of the four injured passengers was transported in critical condition, San Juan County Sheriff Eric Peter said, according to KING.
The victims’ injuries range from “head injuries to broken bones and lacerations,” Peter said.
What prompted the plane to make an emergency landing is unknown.
Kenmore Air said in a statement the floatplane took off at 4:30 p.m. from Lake Union in Seattle and was heading to Roche Harbor, about 100 miles northwest, when it went down around 45 minutes after take-off.
The US Coast Guard said it received initial reports around 5:25 p.m. and immediately launched search and rescue assets, alongside the US Navy, Canadian Coast Guard and local agencies.
CNN has reached out to Kenmore Air, the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, the US Navy, the Canadian Coast Guard and the FAA.
Emergency dispatch audio captured authorities coordinating search and rescue efforts, including the deployment of one US Coast Guard helicopter and a Canadian Coast Guard hovercraft.
“We have multiple vessels in the water,” a person says over the audio dispatch. Later in the audio, a person says there were two boats carrying people who were on board the plane.
Six passengers were taken to a hospital in Bellingham, 4 passengers were transported to a hospital in Harbor, and the pilot was transported to a hospital in Mount Vernon, the airline said in its statement.
“We are grateful that everyone aboard has been accounted for, and our immediate focus is ensuring our passengers and pilot receive the care and support they need,” Kenmore Air CEO David Gudgel said in the statement.
“Kenmore Air is fully cooperating with the investigating authorities, and we will continue providing verified information as it becomes available,” Gudgel said.
Founded in 1946, Kenmore Air is the largest seaplane airline in the United States, flying over 90,000 passengers annually on scheduled, scenic and charter flights.
Kenmore Air said it has canceled all of its scheduled flights for Friday as the team “focuses on supporting the passengers, pilot, families, employees, and emergency response efforts.”
While the cause of the crash is unknown, weather conditions around the time were windy, with ground-level gusts out of the south at 20 mph and rain showers moving into the area.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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CNN’s Dalia Faheid and Briana Waxman contributed to this report.
