The deadly plane crash in Labrador poses one of the more challenging and risky recovery missions that RCMP divers will have faced.
Seven people were killed when the plane, owned by Saguenay Air, ended up in Mestastin Lake, one of the most remote areas of the province. The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Halifax confirmed that three people are dead, but there is no information on the remaining four. It is also unknown whether the plane is above or below the surface.
Cpl. Jolene Garland of the RCMP says transporting equipment which they will need is difficult because of the unknowns.
She says if the aircraft is sinking or has already sunk, they have to look at methods to either prop or keep it up, or look at ways to get down to it and try to to open it up.
Other challenges include weather, fuel and communications.
She says there is no cell service so satellite phones will be the only devices which will work.
Labrador Outfitters Shaken by Incident
The MHA for Labrador West is sending his condolences to the family and friends of those lost the in the plane crash on Mistastin Lake earlier this week.
Two of the victims are from central Newfoundland.
Jordan Brown says the crash has had a significant impact on the region.
He says they worked for Three Rivers Lodge and the outfitting community is very tight knit, so the men were very well known in the region.
The de Havilland Beaver is an aircraft that is heavily used in bush flying. They’re considered reliable and sturdy aircraft, but date to the 50s and 60s. One civil aviation expert says the plane involved in this week’s crash had been damaged in an incident in 2001 and rebuilt.
Questions Raised About Weight Load
Meanwhile, some questions have been raised about the number of people being transported on the Beaver that crashed into Lake Mestastin in Labrador on Monday.
Weigh-ins are conducted before take-off.
The President of Air Saguenay, Jean Tremblay, says seven people on board that type of aircraft is not unusual. He says when used just for passengers, it can accommodate six passengers and the pilot.
He told VOCM News they fly that number of people every single day.
