Four people have died after a plane plunged into and sank in a lagoon outside the Kenai Peninsula community of Seldovia, Alaska, on Wednesday, August 26. The aircraft crashed into the water at 1.18pm while en route to the nearby airport.
Rescue efforts and recovery
The plane submerged roughly 17 feet into the water, according to Clint Johnson, Alaska region chief for the National Transportation Safety Board. Alaska State Troopers sent a rescue team via helicopter and boat, but despite their efforts, four people were pronounced dead after being pulled from the aircraft.
Before emergency services arrived, Johnson said people at the scene attempted to reach the plane and rescue anybody inside but could not get to the aircraft.
Aircraft details and investigation
The bodies of the four adults were pulled from inside the plane at approximately 6.30pm after the tide level dropped, according to officials. The aircraft, a Piper PA-24, sank completely while en route to Seldovia from Merrill Field Airport in Anchorage.
The cause of the crash has not yet been determined.
