Three people have died in a crash off WA’s Rottnest Island
The seaplane crashed during takeoff, after it reportedly hit Phillip Rock near the entrance to Thomson Bay about 4pm on Tuesday.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Moment seaplane crashes off WA’s island paradise.
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Police confirmed seven people, including a pilot, were on board at the time of the crash.
Four people were recovered from the water, with three people taken to hospital “with varying levels of serious injuries”.
The fourth person was uninjured.
Three people initially reported unaccounted for have now been confirmed dead.
“The bodies of the three deceased were recovered from the wreckage by water police divers last night,” WA Premier Roger Cook said.
A 65-year woman visiting from Switzerland and a 60-year-old man visiting from Denmark died in the crash, alongside the 34-year-old pilot from Perth.
“My thoughts go out to the family and friends of the victims,” Cook said.
Three people have died and three have been hurt in a seaplane crash. Credit: AAP Vision from the shoreline shows the plane building speed and slowly lifting off before dipping left where its wingtip breaks the water, sending the aircraft’s nose slamming into the ocean.
Witness Anna Connolly had gone to the beach for a swim and said the plane struggled to take off.
“It took ages to get off the water but then right towards the end it just really didn’t look (good),” she told 7NEWS.
“We had a feeling, everyone thought something was wrong, it didn’t look very good at all.”
Bella Rawlings was with Connolly and said that once the wind got under the wing it “picked it up and nose-dived it into the water”.
The plane is believed to belong to tour company Swan River Seaplanes.
The plane was recently purchased, and featured in an Instagram post for the company.
“Built in 2016, this airframe is currently registered to the Whitsunday Air Services Pty and made its way over from the eastern states, arriving in Perth on New Year’s Day,” photographer Kian Cartmell said.
Cartmell later updated the post to confirm it was the aircraft involved in the crash.
“My hopes and prayers are with all six passengers and crew,” they said.
Swan River Seaplanes was founded in 2017 by tourism and aviation professionals, Kristy Bailey, Troy Thomas and Dean Kingi.
Bailey is a commissioner for the WA Government’s tourism agency.
She and Kingi are both also directors of Rottnest Water Taxi.
Thomas died in a 2020 helicopter crash in Broome alongside Amber Millar, 12.