A pilot and a passenger were rescued by a nearby pleasure craft Monday afternoon when their float plane crashed during takeoff in the southern Gulf Islands.
The Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Victoria received a call at 1:56 p.m of a small Cessna 180 floatplane that suffered a mishap during takeoff from Parker Island and was in distress, said navy spokesman Lt. Paul Pendergast.
“It came to rest semi-submerged in the water with two people aboard,” Pendergast said. “I can’t say for sure whether it ever got off the water.”
Parker Island is a tiny island nestled beside Galiano in the southern Gulf Islands, forming the west side of Montague Harbour.
News of the downed floatplane received an urgent response, with multiple resources dispatched including a Cormorant helicopter from CFB Comox and a Sea King helicopter out of Patricia Bay air force base, Pendergast said.
In addition to a B.C. Ferries vessel, several private boats responded and one reached the aircraft first, Pendergast said. The name of the boat was not disclosed.
The pilot and passenger were out of the floatplane and were awaiting rescue when the boat arrived. “They were sitting outside, on the plane,” Pendergast said. “This all happened quite rapidly — within 10 to 15 minutes. The people were taken off the aircraft and onto the pleasure craft.”
The navy did not release the names or the relationship between the two people on the plane. They were taken by coast guard to Ganges and assessed by paramedics. There were no reported injuries, Pendergast said.
“We’re very grateful that assets and vessels of opportunity responded quickly and were able to get the two people off the plane,” he said.
The helicopters, already airborne, and others stood down upon word of the pair’s rescue, Pendergast said.
The floatplane was towed to Parker Island by the coast guard and was tied to a jetty Monday evening.
There were witnesses to the incident, Pendergast said.
The Transportation Safety Board is investigating.
