An airplane with two people on board made a crash landing on the west side of Vargas Island Aug. 1, northwest of Tofino.
Search and Rescue personnel received news of the crash at 1:28 p.m. on Aug. 1 at Ahous Bay. The single-engine plane landed and flipped over on a beach along the west side of Vargas Island, according to the Canadian Coast Guard. The Coast Guard cutter Cape Ann was dispatched from Tofino to attend to the victims, along with vessels from the Tofino RCMP and the Ahousaht First Nation. The Rocky Pass, a water taxi, also attended the scene with two personnel from BC Emergency Health Services.
“A second plane landed and assisted the two occupants out of the wreckage,” stated an RCMP press release.
“Both survived with reported severe neck injuries,” said Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s communications. “The rescue specialist onboard prepared the survivors for a helicopter hoist.”
A cormorant helicopter flew in from the Canadian Forces Base in Comox, transporting the victims to hospital.
“The occupants, 63 and 69 years of age, are residents of Cobble Hill and Duncan B.C.,” noted the police. “The RCMP would like to recognize that this is the latest incident where the Ahousaht First Nation has come to rescue on the West Coast.”
The plane was a light, fixed wheel aircraft. It is yet to be confirmed if it belonged to an airline or a private owner.
