Port Hardy plane crash victims’ bodies recovered

Mounties say three bodies have been recovered after a float plane crashed in the waters off Port Hardy last week.

According to the Port Hardy RCMP, the bodies of the pilot and two passengers were found by dive teams over the weekend.

The update comes after the Cessna the three people were in went down on Wednesday, Nov. 23.

“Efforts to locate the plane and any potential survivors have been ongoing since the day of the crash,” said Corp. Alex Bérubé with the BC RCMP.

“Working through challenging weather conditions, our divers were able to locate the bodies of the pilot and the two passengers on Saturday, November 26.”

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• Float plane wreckage found off B.C.’s West Coast, north of Port Hardy

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Bérubé said the bodies are now in the care of the BC Coroners Service.

While the RCMP does not suspect any “criminality,” the official cause of the crash has not yet been unveiled.

Previously, Bérubé told CityNews that high winds were reported in the area when the plane went down. A weather warning remained in effect a day later, creating some challenges for search and rescue crews.

Wreckage of the Cessna float plane was found in Strachan Bay by the RCMP West Coast Marine Service two days after the aircraft went down. A dive team was sent to the area to assist shortly after.

The Transportation Safety Board has been called in to try to determine what happened.