On Tuesday January 7, around 4 p.m., a private seaplane from the Swan River Seaplanes company took off from the waters of Thomson Bay, near Rottnest Island, off the west coast of Australia. There were seven people on board, including couples of tourists and the pilot. According to initial hypotheses, the plane hit a rock before partially sinking.
Witnesses to the accident then rushed to the scene and were able to rescue four people who were taken to hospital. Three have minor injuries, while another suffers a serious hand injury. But the three other occupants of the Cessna 208 perished and their bodies had to be recovered from an 8 meter depth. They are a 65-year-old Swiss woman, a 60-year-old Dane and the 34-year-old pilot, according to ABC Australia. The Swiss woman’s companion, aged 63, is one of the survivors.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his thoughts were with those affected. An investigation has been launched into the causes of the accident and it has already been established that the Cessna had only been purchased just over a week ago from a company on the east coast.
“We are working with all survivors to gather their observations of the crash, but police are appealing to any witnesses and any video footage that may have been obtained before or after the crash,” the police commissioner said. Western Australia, Colonel Blanch.
On Tuesday evening, police began moving parts of the wreckage back to shore while additional resources were deployed to the island, which is a known tourist destination.
