Efforts are underway to recover the victims of this week’s plane crash in a remote Labrador lake. Two Newfoundlanders are among those whose lives were lost in the tragedy.
RCMP are on the ground in Labrador preparing for the operation, which includes air services and an underwater recovery team with the help of Nain Ground Search and Rescue.
The Air Saguenay DHC-2 Beaver aircraft went down in the lake on Monday with seven people on board. RCMP Corporal Jolene Garland says all families have been notified, but no names have officially been released.
The men included 61-year-old pilot Gilles Morin of Quebec, the two Newfoundland guides and four American guests.
The wreck has been located about a kilometre from shore. Corporal Garland says there is a significant amount of planning and preparation involved because of the remote location.
It’s not clear if the aircraft crashed on landing or take-off. The Canadian Transportation Safety Board will investigate.
This is Air Saguenay’s third fatal crash in nearly a decade.
Seven Passengers Not Unusual for Type of Plane
Some questions have been raised about the number of people being transported on the Beaver.
However, the president of Air Saguenay, Jean Tremblay, says seven people on board that type of aircraft is not unusual.
Tremblay says when used just for passengers, it can accommodate six passengers and the pilot. He says they fly that number of people every single day.
Weigh-ins are also conducted before take-off.
Condolences for Family, Friends, Coworkers
Condolences are pouring-in for the tight-knit staff at the Three Rivers Lodge in Labrador and for the families and friends of seven men lost in a plane crash earlier this week.
Two of the lodge’s guides, both Newfoundlanders, and a pilot who flew for Air Saguenay, were among the seven people on board the Air Saguenay float plane that went down in Mistastin Lake in Labrador.
The remote lake is a popular destination for fly fishermen from all over the world. The lodge has a close, family-like atmosphere and, according to its website, is staffed by “Newfies” and “Frenchmen.”
Four American guests were also on board the aircraft when it went down.
A video posted on YouTube in June shows some of the staff and the fishing adventures provided by the lodge.