One man was taken to hospital after his float plane crashed in the woods near the mouth of the Gold River yesterday.
Gold River fire chief John McPherson says the pilot of another plane called for help shortly after 5:30 pm when he realized his friend was overdue.
“There was another pilot landing right in front of him, he expected the other plane to land fairly close behind him and he never appeared, never showed up,” he says. “They immediately contacted 911 for an investigation for a possible rescue.”
First responders went searching for the plane and found it around 300 metres from where float planes usually land, in a wooded area.
Firefighters in the search were shouting to pinpoint the crash location when they heard a man answering them. They discovered the male pilot, the lone occupant, who was seriously injured. They put him on a spine board and evacuated him to a helipad.
The pilot was picked up by a Cormorant helicopter from CFB Comox and taken to Nanaimo hospital. The Transportation Safety Board is now investigating.
