Floatplane crashes in Azure Lake
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Updated: July 28, 2009 11:54 AM
A floatplane crashed on Azure Lake in Wells Gray Park Monday morning, reportedly while attempting to land. The 59-year-old pilot and his 58-year-old female passenger received minor injuries. The airplane remains on the bottom of the lake.
According to Capt. Aaron Twa of the Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Victoria, the center received a satellite telephone call reporting the crash at about 10 a.m. on Monday. The call came from the pilot of a second floatplane that had been accompanying the crashed aircraft.
Both floatplanes were registered in Quebec and had spent the previous night in Vernon.
JRCC dispatched a Buffalo fixed-wing aircraft from 442 Squadron Comox with three Search and Rescue technicians on board. As there was no place to land the aircraft the SAR techs parachuted. Two landed on the beach while one ended up in the lake.
The three then gave first aid to the two injured fliers. The pair’s injuries included a broken arm and wrist, lacerations to the face, arm and hand, and possible low back injuries.
The coordination center chartered a Yellowhead helicopter from Clearwater to bring the two injured persons plus one SAR tech to Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital.
A SAR helicopter then took them to Kamloops hospital for further treatment.
“The pilot from Yellowhead did an excellent job,” said Twa.
Yellowhead pilot and Clearwater base manager John Graham was modest after hearing about the praise from JRCC.
“We just try our best to be ready to go at all times,” he said. “It was fortunate that both were not seriously injured.”
He didn’t seem to think his rescue flight into the park and landing on the shore of Azure Lake involved anything unusual.
Graham and his helicopter had been on contract to fight fires with Ministry of Forests when the call came in, he said. The Ministry agreed to release him for the rescue flight.
The pilot and the woman with him both spoke French but one or more of the SAR techs were able to communicate with them, the helicopter pilot noted.
According to a spokesperson for the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, no investigation will be held as it appears nothing new would be learned.
No reply has yet been received from B.C. Parks about how they plan to proceed with the airplane on the bottom of the lake.
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