Port Angeles Coast Guard Aircrew Assists After Sucia Island Seaplane Fire

A Coast Guard aircrew from Port Angeles responded alongside local rescue boats and medical helicopters after a Kenmore Air seaplane with 11 people on board made an emergency water landing and caught fire near Sucia Island in Washington’s San Juan Islands late Thursday afternoon.

Emergency Landing in Shallow Bay Sparks Major Rescue

Publicly available information indicates that the single engine de Havilland DHC 3 Otter departed Seattle’s Lake Union on Thursday, July 23, bound for Roche Harbor in the San Juan Islands with ten passengers and one pilot. Coverage from regional outlets describes the flight as a regularly scheduled Kenmore Air service that encountered trouble as it approached the northern islands in the early evening.

Reports indicate that around 5:15 p.m. local time the floatplane executed an emergency landing in the waters of Shallow Bay, on the northwest side of Sucia Island, a popular but remote state marine park accessible only by boat or aircraft. Images published by multiple news organizations show the aircraft afloat and then engulfed in flames on the water, with plumes of black smoke visible from anchored pleasure craft and nearby shorelines.

Accounts compiled from local reporting and social media posts suggest that boaters in the bay were among the first to reach the aircraft, helping passengers escape onto nearby vessels as fire consumed the airframe. Subsequent coverage notes that some occupants were transferred to emergency responders for medical evaluation after reaching larger boats and nearby ports.

Regional news reports describe choppy conditions and low cloud at the time of the accident, although formal weather details and any connection to the emergency landing remain under review by federal investigators. Early descriptions from aviation focused coverage characterize the event as a hard water landing followed by a post landing fire, with the exact sequence still being documented.

Port Angeles Aircrew Joins Multi Agency Response

According to published coverage drawing on official information releases, Coast Guard watchstanders in the Puget Sound region received initial reports of the emergency landing shortly after 5:25 p.m. Thursday. A helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles, which operates MH 65 Dolphin helicopters across the Strait of Juan de Fuca and San Juan Islands, was among the first aviation assets dispatched to the scene.

Tracking data referenced in regional reports shows a Dolphin helicopter orbiting above Sucia Island while rescue boats converged on Shallow Bay. The Port Angeles based crew’s role included locating the scene from the air, directing surface vessels, and supporting medical evacuation planning as responders worked to confirm that everyone aboard the seaplane had been removed from immediate danger.

Publicly available Coast Guard background material notes that Air Station Port Angeles regularly responds to maritime emergencies across the northern Puget Sound region, a complex operating area with strong tidal currents, cold water, and limited landing options. In this case, the station’s short range rescue helicopter capability allowed an aircrew to reach the remote island quickly, despite the distance from mainland airfields and hospitals.

Reports compiled Friday describe a coordinated effort involving the Port Angeles helicopter, Coast Guard small boats, San Juan County marine units, and at least one medical helicopter transferring injured occupants to hospitals in Bellingham and elsewhere on the mainland. Coverage indicates that the Port Angeles aircrew assisted in overseeing the search and rescue phase until all occupants were accounted for.

All 11 Occupants Accounted For After Seaplane Fire

By Thursday night, multiple regional outlets reported that all 11 people aboard the Kenmore Air flight had been located. According to summaries of Coast Guard public information and statements from the airline carried in national coverage, everyone on board survived the crash and subsequent fire, although several people sustained injuries requiring hospital care.

Follow up reporting on Friday indicates that at least four individuals were transported from the islands to medical facilities, some by helicopter and others by boat and ground ambulance. Details on the nature and severity of their injuries have not been widely disclosed, but coverage consistently describes the overall outcome as a rare case in which all occupants survived a dramatic seaplane accident and intense onboard fire.

Aviation industry analysis pieces note that the de Havilland DHC 3 Otter, widely used in seaplane operations in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, is designed for short takeoff and landing performance and can alight on water in confined bays. Experts quoted across various outlets emphasize that survival rates in water landings can be significantly higher than in high speed impacts on land, particularly when flotation, life vests, and rapid response from nearby vessels come into play, as appears to have occurred near Sucia Island.

Photographs and video circulated on social media and republished by mainstream news show the aircraft largely destroyed by fire, with only portions of the floats and lower fuselage remaining above the waterline by the time firefighting efforts were documented. Salvage and environmental response planning is expected to follow, as authorities and the operator work to remove wreckage and address any fuel or oil releases in the sensitive marine park.

Remote Island Setting Highlights Maritime Rescue Challenges

Sucia Island, part of Washington State Parks’ San Juan Islands Marine State Park system, lies near the Canadian border and is ringed with rocky shorelines, reefs, and narrow inlets. Boaters familiar with the area, commenting in local forums and interviewed in regional coverage, describe Shallow Bay as a favored anchorage but also a location that can be difficult for emergency services to access quickly from the mainland.

The response to Thursday’s accident underscores how maritime rescues around the San Juan Islands often rely on a combination of nearby private vessels, county marine resources, and Coast Guard air and surface units. Publicly available incident summaries from earlier cases in the region show a pattern in which Port Angeles based helicopters frequently work in concert with Coast Guard stations at Bellingham and Port Angeles, as well as local fire and EMS units on the islands, to overcome distance and limited road access.

Observers following the Sucia Island incident note that early assistance from recreational boaters likely bought critical time before specialized rescue crews arrived, a recurring theme in water based emergencies in popular cruising grounds. News analysis pieces also point out that the rugged geography, cold water temperatures, and variable summer weather in the northern Puget Sound create an environment where rapid coordination among multiple agencies is essential.

Environmental advocates and park users expressed concern in public comments about the potential impact of aircraft debris and fuel in Shallow Bay, which is known for its sheltered moorings and marine life. State and federal agencies are expected to monitor the site as salvage work progresses and as investigators document the wreckage for the accident inquiry.

Investigation Underway Into Cause of Emergency Landing

According to national and regional coverage, federal aviation investigators and the National Transportation Safety Board are beginning a detailed review of the accident, working with the Coast Guard and Kenmore Air to determine what led to the emergency landing and subsequent fire. Early reports mention no clear mechanical issue or weather factor as a confirmed cause, and analysts caution that definitive findings can take months.

Initial attention is focused on the aircraft’s engines, fuel system, and control surfaces, along with pilot decision making during the final minutes of the flight. Investigators are expected to examine maintenance records, pilot training, and any onboard electronic data or passenger video that could shed light on how the aircraft came to rest in Shallow Bay before burning on the surface.

Kenmore Air, a long established operator in the Pacific Northwest, has indicated in public statements summarized by news organizations that it is cooperating fully with the investigation and reviewing its own safety procedures. Industry observers note that the company has flown millions of passengers on seaplane routes linking Seattle, the San Juan Islands, and British Columbia, and that serious accidents involving multiple injuries remain uncommon relative to the volume of flights.

For residents and visitors who rely on seaplane connections to reach remote island communities, the Sucia Island incident is prompting renewed attention to safety briefings, life jacket use, and emergency exit awareness. As the investigation continues, Port Angeles based aircrews and their counterparts across the region are likely to incorporate lessons from the response into future training, reinforcing the critical role of aerial search and rescue capability in one of the United States’ most challenging coastal environments.