All 11 people aboard a Kenmore Air seaplane survived after the aircraft crashed and caught fire near Sucia Island in Washington state on Thursday evening, bringing about a swift response from U.S. and Canadian emergency crews.
Three patients were airlifted, four were sent to Bellingham by boat, and four were sent to Friday Harbor for treatment and care.
"While the crash resulted in serious injuries to some patients, there are no fatalities at this time and we feel optimistic that with care all patients involved will do well," said SJIEMS.
San Juan County Sheriff officials said Thursday night that one passenger remained in critical condition. Reported injuries ranged from head trauma and broken bones to lacerations. By Friday, at least five passengers had been discharged from hospitals, authorities said.
The floatplane, with one pilot and 10 passengers, departed Seattle’s Lake Union at about 4:30 p.m. and was bound for Roche Harbor on San Juan Island. The aircraft then went down near Shallow Bay on Sucia Island just after 5:20 p.m. after what officials described as an emergency landing.
The U.S. Coast Guard received initial reports of the crash around 5:25 p.m. and launched search-and-rescue operations with local agencies, the U.S. Navy, the Canadian Coast Guard, and civilian boaters in the area. An Urgent Marine Information Broadcast alerted mariners nearby, drawing several Good Samaritan vessels to assist before first responders arrived.
Videos posted on social media showed the seaplane flying low over the water before crashing near the shoreline. Passengers climbed out of the aircraft as smoke poured from the fuselage just before flames engulfed much of the plane.
David Gudgel, CEO of Kenmore Air, said the airline's priority is supporting passengers, crew members and their families. "We are grateful that everyone aboard has been accounted for,” Gudgel said.
Gudgel said the airline canceled all scheduled flights for Friday and is cooperating fully with investigators.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the crash, and the National Transportation Safety Board has sent a team to investigate. Officials have not identified a cause.
The aircraft involved in Thursday's crash was a de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter floatplane, the same model involved in a fatal 2022 crash in Washington's Puget Sound that killed 10 people.
After that investigation found a critical flight-control component had failed, federal regulators ordered inspections of DHC-3 Otter seaplanes. Kenmore Air, which was not the operator involved in the 2022 crash, said its aircraft complied with those inspection requirements.