By Heather McNeill
Three people have died after a seaplane crashed off Rottnest Island on Tuesday afternoon.
WA Premier Roger Cook confirmed the three victims’ bodies were recovered from the plane wreckage by police divers on Tuesday night, including the pilot James Wong, 34, a female Swiss tourist, 65, and a Danish male tourist, 60.
“My thoughts go out to the family and friends,” Cook said.
“Initial reports included claims the plane came into contact with Phillip Rock. Those early reports are not confirmed after viewing some of the footage available, however this will all form part of the investigation.
“At this stage what caused the crash remains unknown.”
Pilot James Wong.Credit: LinkedIn
Footage of the crash, which occurred around 4pm, shows the Swan River Seaplane-run Cessna 208 struggling to take off before swaying and nosediving into the ocean about 600 metres offshore.
Visitors on the West Australian holiday island were in shock after many witnessed the crash and frantic rescue that followed, with several private boats and water police rushing to the scene in the immediate aftermath.
Four survivors were rescued from the water including a West Australian couple in their 60s and the partners of the deceased Swiss and Danish nationals; a 63-year-old Swiss man and a 58-year-old Danish woman.
Three of the survivors remain in hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries, while a fourth person escaped uninjured.
WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said the victims’ bodies were trapped within the plane wreckage eight metres underwater.
“Large parts of the aircraft are still submerged,” he said.
Police Commissioner Col Blanch addressing the media on Wednesday.Credit: Jesinta Burton
“We are working with all of those survivors to understand what their observations were of the crash.”
Swan River Seaplanes runs regular tourist flights between the mainland and Rottnest. Flight records show the Cessna plane had recently arrived in WA from NSW, and had begun scenic flights on January 1.
Footage posted to Instagram by the flight operator showed 11 people queuing to board the doomed plane at the South Perth jetty on Tuesday morning.
“The latest addition to the @swanriverseaplanes fleet taxiing to the South Perth Jetty after a Perth City Scenic Flight,” photographer Kian Carmell wrote.
Blanch recognised the civilians who rushed to the crash site, with the fast response saving several lives.
“There have been a number of members of the public who did not hesitate to assist, and I do thank them for their efforts,” he said.
Officers from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau are expected to arrive at the island on Wednesday to investigate what went wrong.
“As reported to the ATSB, during take-off the float plane collided with the water, before coming to rest partially submerged,” the bureau said in a statement.
“The ATSB will deploy a team of transport safety investigators from its Perth, Brisbane and Canberra offices, specialising in human performance, and aircraft operations and maintenance.
“Investigators will also seek to interview those on board, and any other witnesses and involved parties, and collect relevant recorded information including available flight tracking data, as well as pilot and aircraft maintenance records, and weather information.”
Two parts of the plane have been recovered. The pontoon was found on a beach a couple of kilometres from the crash site, and police took another piece of the wreckage to a forensic holding yard.
Visitors to the island witnessed the crash and then the rescue effort, with four people rushed to shore by emergency crews.
Holidaymaker Phil Shepley told WAtoday he heard ambulance sirens in the vicinity of the jetty before watching almost half a dozen civilian vessels make their way to the scene to aid in the rescue.
“We just saw the tail and the wing floating above the surface,” he said.
“The rescue boat and about four or five civilian vessels got there straight away.
“I was shocked – it was just surreal.”
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
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