A Kenmore Air plane caught fire after making an emergency landing near Sucia Island, Washington State on July 23. There were 11 passengers on board. And fortunately, all of them survived the crash. The floatplane departed from Lake Union in Seattle and was heading to Roche Harbor when it crashed in Shallow Bay off of Sucia Island, just 45 minutes into its journey, a spokesperson for Kenmore Air said.
Sucia Island is north of Orcas Island, in the San Juan Islands, San Juan County, Washington. Kenmore Air said ten passengers and a pilot were on board at the time of the crash. According to the company, all of the people were rescued. The pilot was rushed to Skagit Valley Hospital.
Four passengers were transported to PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center, according to Kenmore Air. The remaining six people were rushed to PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham. However, one of the passengers is in critical condition, said the San Juan County Sheriff's Office.
According to the Sheriff's Office, the victims' injuries range from "head injuries to broken bones and lacerations." The cause of the crash is unknown. In a statement, David Gudgel, the CEO of Kenmore Air, said "We are grateful that everyone aboard has been accounted for...", adding that the company is fully cooperating with the investigating authorities and will continue providing verified information as it becomes available.
Kenmore Air extended its sincere thanks to the agencies that responded to the scene. These include San Juan County Parks, U.S. Coast Guard, San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, Lopez Island Fire and Rescue, and San Juan Island Fire and Rescue.
