The active search for nine individuals who went missing after a Sunday afternoon floatplane crash in Mutiny Bay off Whidbey Island has been suspended as of noon Monday, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
One individual was found dead on Sunday, and nine others, including a child, remain missing.
An extensive search that spanned overnight Sunday covered 1,282 nautical miles. Next of kin have been notified of the decision to suspend the active search, according to the Coast Guard.
“It’s one of the most difficult decisions the Coast Guard has to make,” Chief Petty Officer William Colclough told Cascadia Daily News Monday afternoon. “It is done with great care and deliberation, and it’s in close coordination and contact with the next of kin.”
Colclough said it’s important to note the Coast Guard can resume a search at any time if it receives credible information regarding surviving missing persons.
The Coast Guard and partner agencies will work to recover debris from the crash, and an underwater remotely operated vehicle and drone will continue searching for wreckage over the next few hours, according to a Coast Guard news release.
Colclough said the Coast Guard occasionally assists local partner agencies in the recovery of deceased individuals.
“Our hearts go out to the families, loved ones and friends of those who remain missing and the deceased,” the Coast Guard tweeted at 12:21 p.m. Monday.
The Coast Guard began its search for survivors after an individual reported the crash at 3:11 p.m. Sunday. The National Transportation Safety Board said the plane was a de Havilland DHC-3 Turbine Otter, a single-engine propeller craft, owned by Renton-based charter Northwest Seaplanes.
Participating in the search were an MH-65 Dolphin rescue helicopter crew from Port Angeles, the 87-foot Coast Guard Cutter Osprey, the 87-foot Coast Guard Cutter Blue Shark and other vessels, as well as a C-27 aircraft from Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento.
Additionally, first responders from South Whidbey Fire, Island County Sheriff’s Office and Snohomish County Sheriff’s office were on the scene, The Seattle Times reported.
The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the cause of the crash, which is unknown.
This story was updated with additional information at 1:26 p.m. Additional updates will be provided as they become available.
