All 11 rescued after seaplane crash off Sucia Island

All 11 people aboard a Kenmore Air seaplane were rescued after the aircraft crashed and caught fire in the waters off Washington's Sucia Island on Thursday, July 23, 2026. The de Havilland DHC-3 Otter, carrying ten passengers and a pilot, went down in Shallow Bay at approximately 5:15 p.m. local time following an attempted emergency landing.

The flight, identified as Kenmore Air Flight 140, had departed from Lake Union in Seattle around 4:30 p.m. and was en route to Roche Harbor on San Juan Island. According to the U.S. Coast Guard and the San Juan County Sheriff's Office, the aircraft was engulfed in flames upon impact. Despite the dramatic crash, all individuals were successfully pulled from the water by a multi-agency rescue effort involving the Coast Guard, Canadian responders, and multiple local fire and rescue departments.

Injuries among those rescued ranged from head trauma and broken bones to lacerations. One patient was reported to be in critical condition, though there were no fatalities as of Thursday evening. Six passengers were transported to PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham, four were taken to PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center in Friday...