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Coast Guard: 1 dead, 9 missing after small plane crashes in Puget Sound, search suspended


A U.S. Coast Guard boat and Kitsap, Wash., County Sherrif boat search the area, Monday, Sept. 5, 2022, near Freeland, Wash., on Whidbey Island north of Seattle where a chartered floatplane crashed the day before. The plane was carrying 10 people and was en route from Friday Harbor, Wash., to Renton, Wash. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
A U.S. Coast Guard boat and Kitsap, Wash., County Sherrif boat search the area, Monday, Sept. 5, 2022, near Freeland, Wash., on Whidbey Island north of Seattle where a chartered floatplane crashed the day before. The plane was carrying 10 people and was en route from Friday Harbor, Wash., to Renton, Wash. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
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LANGLEY, Wash. — The Coast Guard is set to release the names of the 10 victims in the devastating float plane crash off Whidbey Island, while a family did confirm some of the victims itself late Monday.

Family confirmed to KOMO News Monday night that Ross Mickel, Lauren Hilty, their son Remy and unborn baby Luca, were on the flight and died.

“We are deeply saddened and beyond devasted at the loss of our beloved Ross Mickel, Lauren Hilty, Remy and their unborn baby boy, Luca," the statement said. "Our collective grief is unimaginable. They were a bright and shining light in the lives of everyone who knew them. Although their time with us was too short, we will carry their legacy forward. We want to thank all the first responders, emergency service agencies of Whidbey Island, Island County, the United States Coast Guard (USCG), Naval Air Station Whidbey Island (NASWI), and the private citizens who participated in the search and rescue efforts following the crash. The enormous outpouring and support we have received from our friends, family, and the public has been overwhelming. Our hearts go out to the families and friends of those who also lost loved ones on-board. At this difficult time, we are requesting that our privacy be respected as we grieve the loss of our family members.”

Mickel is a prominent winery owner in Washington state. The Washington State Wine Commission also shared a statement.

“We are deeply saddened by the news about Ross Mickel and his family. Ross had an incredible impact on the Washington wine community and he will be greatly missed. Our thoughts are with his loved ones as they navigate this extraordinarily difficult time.”

The Coast Guard announced it would be suspending its active search more than 20 hours after the plane plunged into Mutiny Bay Sunday afternoon.

It has been a heart-wrenching time for people who knew the victims, people on the island, and those Good Samaritans who tried to help.

There is so much loss and heartbreak, officials with the Coast Guard said they want to make sure everyone knows before naming the victims.

“Oh, it’s devastating,” said neighbor Beth Hom. “There’s a child on board, its heartbreaking to hear that.”

Officials the say Northwest Sea Planes Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter crashed on its way to Renton from Friday Harbor.

Officials with the Coast Guard say the group had chartered two planes, only one made it.

Neighbors on the quiet island say a powerful explosion literally shook them to the core.

“Unfortunately, it’s like – I heard people dying,” said neighbor Michael Allen. “And then it was just a major explosion. I mean in dead silence. I mean – It was so loud that it literally shook me at my home. And that’s up on the hill here, and it’s like a mile out there.”

Northwest Seaplanes posted a statement saying, “The team at Northwest Seaplanes is heartbroken, we don’t know any details yet regarding the cause of the accident. We are working with the FAA, NTSB and Coastguard. We have been in communication with the families. We are praying for the families involved, including our pilot and his family.”

“We like to bring people home and we have a sorrowing heart when we have 9 people unaccounted for in a plane crash with 10 people,” said Scott Giard, Coast Guard Director of Search and Rescue.

After searching through the night and into early morning saturating an area of 2100 square nautical miles, the Coast Guard decided to suspend the search, but not before talking to the victims’ families.

Officials said they will have another briefing with the family, then the names of the other victims will be released Tuesday morning at 6 am.

“We want to sure that all the next of kin have been notified, we have notified them,” said Giard. “Then we give a little bit of a grace period because there is a lot of other friends and family involved and we want to make sure it’s not a surprise to anybody.”

A community is now sending their heartfelt condolences to those suffering profound loss.

“I can’t imagine what the family is going through I just wish them as much as much comfort and peace as possible,” said neighbor Becky Wright.

Northwest Seaplanes is a family-owned business founded by Clyde Carlson, according to the company's website. It has 24 years of “accident and incident free flying," the website said.

The company's business office next to the seaplane dock at the Renton Municipal Airport remained closed behind fencing on Monday. The only visible activity was two people hugging near the front door. The only floatplane at the dock appeared to be a small private Cessna.

A woman who answered the phone early Monday said they're waiting to learn more and are devastated by the crash.

“It's a small crew. Everyone's close,” said the woman, who would only give her first name, Michelle. She declined to say more.

The Northwest Seaplanes website says its sister company Friday Harbor Seaplanes operates daily flights to and from their Renton base and the San Juan Islands, a scenic archipelago northwest of Seattle that draws tourists from around the world.

Floatplanes, which have pontoons allowing them to land on water, are a common sight around Puget Sound, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean. There are multiple, daily flights between the Seattle area and the San Juan Islands.

These aircraft, which also fly between Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia, frequently travel over Seattle and land on Lake Washington and on Lake Union, not far from the city's iconic Space Needle.

The airport where the flight was headed Sunday is at the southern tip of Lake Washington, less than 5 miles (8 kilometers) from Seattle. It’s located next to a Boeing plant and is best known for where new 737s first hit the sky.

In July, 2020, a De Havilland Beaver operated by Brooke's Seaplanes was on a scenic flight in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, with five passengers and a pilot when it collided with a Cessna 206. Eight people were killed.

In 2019, a midair crash in Alaska between two sightseeing planes killed six people. The Ketchikan-based floatplanes were carrying passengers from the same cruise ship, the Royal Princess, and were returning from tours of Misty Fjords National Monument.

The National Transportation Safety Board said Monday that they're sending a team of seven to investigate the crash of the DHC-3 Turbine Otter.

*EDITOR'S NOTE: An initial report from the U.S. Coast Guard said there were nine people aboard the plane. That has since been corrected to 10 people.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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