Harbour Air float plane crashes into boat in Vancouver near Stanley Park

Posted: Jun. 8, 2024 3:49PM | Last Updated: Jun. 8, 2024 5:39PM

Nicky Furmage/X

Wreckage from the crash is shown.

A Harbour Air float plane crashed into a boat in Vancouver’s Coal Harbour on Saturday afternoon, just east of Stanley Park.

The company says one of its sight-seeing aircraft that had five passengers on board was taking off when it “came into contact with a boat.”

The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) Victoria tells CHEK News that it was called to the crash around 12:53 p.m.

Harbour Air says all five passengers on board, as well as the pilot, are uninjured.

Vancouver Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Walter Pereira says four people were onboard the boat at the time of the crash. Two were seriously injured and transported to hospital, the other two were uninjured.

A flurry of first responders were dispatched to the scene, including two coast guard vessels, Vancouver police, Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services and RCMP.

Pereira says it was actually a private mariner who was the first to respond to the crash, and helped pick up the people who were onboard the plane.

Firefighters took the lead on transporting the injured boaters to shore, where ambulances were waiting for them.

Pereira stresses that “thankfully, nobody died,” and adds that he thinks changes could be coming to the marina area following the crash.

“There’s a coupe of incidents now that I think will require the transportation board to really delve into what’s going on here,” he said. “Maybe this area is just becoming too busy.”

The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) is now leading the investigation and says a team was deployed on Saturday afternoon.

“Safety remains our utmost priority,” said Harbour Air in a statement Saturday. “At this time, we are working closely with the authorities to gather more information about this incident and supporting the affected parties.”