A plane carrying French tourists crashed into Lake Powell in Utah, killing two people and injuring more, authorities say.
The National Park Service (NPS) dispatch began receiving calls from witnesses that a plane had crashed into Lake Powell near Face Canyon around 5:20 p.m., the Kane County Sheriff’s Office announced in a press release on their Facebook page. A pilot and six French tourists were traveling over the lake in a tour plane from Page, Arizona, when the pilot reported an issue with the plane’s engine.
The pilot survived and worked with witnesses to evacuate four of the six French passengers onto boats to be taken for medical care, officials said in the press release. Three of the tourists sustained serious injuries and were transferred by helicopter to St. George Regional Hospital, according to the Kane County Sheriff’s Office.
Kane County Sheriffs released updated information on a plane crash that killed two people and injured five others. https://t.co/FaqEpadUSn
— KSL 5 TV (@KSL5TV) August 16, 2022
Two of the passengers died and were not immediately removed from the submerged plane, officials said. NPS found the plane under 120 feet of water and coordinated with other agencies, including the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation, to assist the Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS) divers in recovering the two deceased passengers, according to the press release.
The Kane County Sheriff’s Office said it is responsible for handling the death investigation. The investigation into the cause of the plane crash will be conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board, according to the Kane County Sheriff’s Office. (RELATED: Horrifying Footage Shows Small Plane Crash Into Truck Full Of People On California Highway Before Bursting Into Flames)
“This case is still under investigation and it will be some time before the case is resolved,” said the Sheriff’s office. “Incidents like this are very difficult because of the circumstances and terrain. Many thanks to the witnesses who responded quickly to help the survivors and provide information to help locate the submerged plane,” the press release noted. The Kane County Sheriff’s Office also extended their condolences to the families of those who died in the crash.