in the port Vancouver Coal Harbornearly Stanley Parklast Saturday, there was a accident between a seaplane and a boatwhich left two people hospitalized, as confirmed by the authorities. A reporter at the scene, near Canada Place, reported that rescue boats were surrounding a small plane in the water near Brockton Point in Stanley Park.
The Vancouver Police (VPD) stated that a seaplane from the airline Harbor Air collided with a pleasure boat around 1 pm local time. “Several people were traveling on board the plane and the boat,” the authorities reported. “Several passengers have received medical attention for their injuries and have been taken to hospital.” Although the exact number of people injured was not specified, it was indicated that more details would be revealed as the investigation progresses.
Sunday morningthe assistant chief of Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services, Jarret Gray, confirmed that two people who were on the boat were taken to the hospital. A Harbor Air spokeswoman explained that one of her planes, with five passengers on board on a sightseeing tour, collided with a boat just after taking off from the seaplane terminal.
“All passengers on the plane and the pilot are unharmed and safe,” according to the statement. “We were informed by local authorities that all passengers on the boat have also been accounted for.” He added that they were working with authorities to support people affected by the collision.
Brian Twaites, spokesperson for BC Emergency Health Services, confirmed that crews transported two people to hospital following the collision. “None of the 10 additional patients required transfer to the hospital,” she said in a statement.
In a statement to CBCthe Transportation Safety Board (TSB) confirmed that the submerged aircraft is a De Haviland DHC-2 Mark 1commonly known as beaver, which has capacity for up to six passengers. According to the TSB, the plane is secured to a barge at the Main Street dock. The board said it has begun conducting witness interviews and is on track to coordinate with the aircraft recovery team to understand their plans. “In the coming days, the investigation team will assist in the recovery of the aircraft, examine the wreckage, continue to gather information and conduct additional interviews,” a spokesman for the agency said. TSB.
An Australian tourist, Pat Anson, stated that he was walking around Coal Harbor when he saw the seaplane apparently collide with a boat. “It looked like the plane was about to take off,” Anson told CBC News. “We saw two speedboats in front of him and I’m not sure if he collided with one of them, but he went up into the air and headbutted the speedboats.”
He Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) in Victoria reported that authorities received a call around 12:55 p.m. local time about a seaplane and boat in Coal Harbor. “Coast Guard Station Kitsilano dispatched two vessels to the scene… Once on scene, they worked with multiple agencies to respond,” the JRCC stated.
Coal Harbor is the site of seaplane terminal from downtown Vancouver, served by airlines such as Harbor Air and Seaair Seaplanes. The emergency response involved deployments of firefighters, police, paramedics, the port authority and the Coast Guard. They were mobilized after a Harbor Air seaplane, on a scenic tour, collided with a pleasure boat during takeoff. According to Harbor Air, all passengers and the pilot of the seaplane were uninjured. Two passengers from the boat were taken to the hospital with injuries that BC Emergency Health Services described as minors.
In the coming days, the TSB will continue its investigation to determine the factors that contributed to this incident in Canadian civil airspace. This includes the recovery of submerged aircraft and a detailed examination of the damage.
