Two people were in “stable condition” as of Tuesday evening following a plane crash earlier in the day near Douglas Island, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
The two people, who the U.S. Coast Guard did not identify, were the sole occupants of a privately owned plane that crashed Tuesday afternoon in the water near Outer Point, according to the Coast Guard.
The people immediately swam to shore after the plane crashed about 100 feet from shore, according to the Coast Guard. An Alaska Seaplanes plane spotted the survivors, landed in the nearby water and disembarked an EMT to provide on-site first aid.
“This really was a best case scenario,” said Lt.j.g. Trevor Layman, command duty officer, in a news release. “The quick action by the Alaska Seaplanes aircraft and assistance from the EMT on board at the time was commendable as well as the work from the Coast Guard Swordfish and Sentry boat crews. Everyone responded quickly and worked together to get these two the help they needed.”
A message to Alaska Seaplanes was not immediately returned.
At 1:50 p.m., watchstanders in the Coast Guard Sector Juneau Command received notification of the crash from the Juneau Police Department. The Coast Guard Cutter Swordfish arrived on scene at 2:20 p.m., according to the Coast Guard, and deployed a small boat crew who retrieved the two survivors and transferred them to Alaska Wildlife Troopers boat Sentry to be taken for further emergency medical services.
The Coast Guard did not specify where the people were taken for treatment. Calls and messages to the Coast Guard and Juneau Police Department were not immediately returned.
The plane remains submerged and is slowly sinking, according to the Coast Guard. The cause of the crash is being investigated, and Coast Guard responders are working with the plane’s owners to develop a salvage plan.
• Contact Ben Hohenstatt at (907)308-4895 or bhohenstatt@juneauempire.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BenHohenstatt.
