Divers search for bodies in Hawkesbury River after Sydney seaplane crash kills six
Phone camera footage broadcast by Seven News appeared to show the plane ‘moments before it is submerged’
A seaplane crashed into a Sydney river on Sunday, killing six people on a “wine and dine” sightseeing flight before the city’s New Year’s Eve celebrations on the harbour.
Police said they did not know the cause of the crash, nor the identities of the five passengers, but were speaking with several witnesses who were in boats on one of the waterways’ busiest days of the year. The pilot was the sixth victim.
Six people are feared dead in a sea plane crash on the Hawkesbury River. @jessicaridleytv @MyleeHogan #7News pic.twitter.com/ZtXDr18vCZ— 7 News Sydney (@7NewsSydney) December 31, 2017
Several Australian media reports said four of the victims were British, although that was not immediately confirmed by police. In London, the Foreign Office said its officials were in contact with local authorities in Sydney.
“We stand ready to provide consular assistance,” a Foreign Office spokeswoman said.
The aircraft was operated by Sydney Seaplanes, a major tourism operator in the city.
