Three individuals, including two foreign travelers, were killed and three others were hospitalized with serious injuries following a seaplane accident off the coast of Western Australia, authorities reported on Wednesday.
At a press conference alongside State Police Commissioner Col Blanch, State Premier Roger Cook stated that marine police recovered the bodies of the victims from the wreckage during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday.
The deceased include a 34-year-old pilot from Perth, a 65-year-old Swiss tourist, and a 60-year-old Danish tourist.
Seven people were on board the private seaplane when it crashed into the ocean shortly after takeoff on Tuesday around 4:00 PM local time, near Rottnest Island, a popular tourist destination located 20 kilometers off the coast of Perth.
According to witnesses, the aircraft reportedly struck a rock just before the crash; however, this has not yet been confirmed by initial investigations, Mr. Cook noted.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau announced on Wednesday that it would initiate an investigation into the accident.
