Three missing after four rescued from seaplane crash

Source: X
A search will resume for three people missing after a seaplane with seven people on board crashed in front of shocked tourists off a busy holiday island in Western Australia.
The plane plunged into the water while taking off near the main swimming and boating area of Rottnest Island, off Perth, about 4pm local time on Tuesday.
Witnesses watched the horror tragedy unfold and the ensuing mission to rescue those on board the privately owned aircraft.
Three crash victims were recovered from the water with serious injuries. One person was uninjured.
Three people remained missing on Wednesday morning.
It appeared the plane had struck Phillip Rock, a low-lying outcrop, at the entrance to Thompson Bay, from where ferry services to the island are launched, shortly after take-off.

The plane wreckage in waters off WA’s Rottnest island. Photo: Nine News
WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said water police and civilian vessels rushed to assist in the rescue.
Of those recovered, three were flown to hospitals with varying levels of serious injury, while the fourth person rescued was unhurt.
“I do want to reassure the community that we have significant resources on scene and we are doing everything that we can,” he added.
Tourist Greg Quin told the ABC the crash was a “complete shock”.
“We were watching the sea plane take off and just as it was beginning to get off the water, it just tipped over and it crashed,” he told ABC Radio Perth.
“A lot of people in the water on their boats rushed to the scene and I think got there really, really quickly, which was just amazing.
“But it very quickly got caught up in the wind and the current and began drifting [it] away.
“It was pretty scary to see, there is a lot of people in the area quite worried and not quite sure what’s going on.”
One witness told Seven’s Sunrise that there appeared to be a problem with the plane’s take-off.
“Everyone thought it was something was wrong, it didn’t look good at all,” they said.
“Once the wind went under the wing it picked it up and nose-dived into the water.”
Rottnest Island, which is also known as Wadjemup, is about 20 kilometres off the coast from Perth.
It’s a popular holiday spot in summer, attracting thousands of visitors.
The island, which is also home to the world-famous marsupial quokkas, has a small airport and various companies offer flights to and from the mainland.
-with AAP