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She later learned it was her 31-year-old son Cole Sayers who helped his mother to safety after the plane tipped over.
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Try refreshing your browser, or I felt hands coming and lifting my head up : Vancouver Island First Nations leader recalls float plane crash Back to video
When the plane flipped, Sayers was left hanging upside-down inside the aircraft with her head underwater, struggling to lift her head to take a breath.
Five people were in the Atleo River Air Services Cessna float plane, including Sayers, her son, two other passengers involved in a clean-energy project, and a pilot. They were on their way to Hesquiaht to view the project late Monday morning.
When the plane flipped, Sayers was left hanging upside-down inside the aircraft with her head underwater, struggling to lift her head to take a breath. Five people were in the Atleo River Air Services Cessna float plane, including Sayers, her son, two other passengers involved in a clean-energy project, and a pilot. They were on their way to Hesquiaht to view the project late Monday morning. “We were taxiing out of the harbour and [the pilot] seemed to be having a really hard time getting out,” said Sayers, who is used to flying on larger float planes. The plane started to climb but the ride was bumpy, she said.
Misty Lawson, base manager for Atelo River Air Services of Tofino, said at 11:40 a.m. Monday during takeoff, the plane “hit a large boat wake and prematurely became airborne and it ended up tipping over on its nose.” “The incident did some damage to the aircraft but luckily no one on board had sustained any serious injuries.” The pilot is experienced and has more than 10,000 hours of flight time, she said. “We are just really, really glad that everyone is OK.” Tofino Fire Chief Brent Baker said the accident happened fairly close to shore. The Canadian Coast Guard station is nearby and the accident occurred in a busy area where about a dozen boats were on hand.