Two dead in plane crash off Vancouver Island’s west coast
Posted June 21, 2023 9:03 am.
Last Updated June 21, 2023 11:54 am.
The RCMP says two people have died after a plane crash in the Tahsis Inlet, north of Tofino.
Mounties say at about 2 p.m. Tuesday, police were notified of the crash near Mizona Point. That is approximately 60 nautical miles northwest of Tofino, according to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB).
The RCMP says initial information it received showed the plane had four people on board, flying from Masset, Haida Gwaii, to Tofino.
B.C. RCMP Media Relations Officer Corp. Alex Bérubé tells CityNews two survivors have been taken to hospital, however, the extent of their injuries is not known.
Bérubé says it was a private flight using a wheeled plane, which the TSB confirmed to be a Quest Kodiak 100 aircraft earlier Wednesday.
#TSBAir deploys a team following an aircraft accident northwest of Tofino, British Columbia https://t.co/9J7EvaNPUk
— TSB of Canada (@TSBCanada) June 21, 2023
The TSB is now investigating, along with the BC Coroners Service.
“Whenever we engage these agencies to help us with the investigation, we know that this can be treacherous, especially in the remote areas such as this,” Bérubé said.
“We know that the plane crash also caused a fire in the area, so the BC Wildfire Service was also engaged to monitor that.”
Police are not releasing any information about the victims at this time.
“Despite this tragedy, it’s always comforting to know that we have a number of resources and outside agencies that are there to work all together, to piece out exactly what happened, and try to bring some closure to the families,” Bérubé said.
Police note the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre and the Coast Guard initially responded to the crash, along with the Nootka Sound RCMP and the Royal Canadian Air Force 119 Squadron from Comox.
–With files from Sonia Aslam, Martin MacMahon, and Cole Schisler
