June 30, 2013 - 9:36 AM
PEMBERTON, B.C. - Four people are dead after a glider collided mid-air with a Cessna 150 near Pemberton, B.C.
The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Victoria said the incident happened early Saturday afternoon just above Nairn Falls Provincial Park near Pemberton, about 50 kilometres north of Whistler.
Sgt. Rob Knapton with Whistler/Pemberton RCMP said when emergency personnel reached the scene, they saw pieces of aircraft — some of which had caught on fire —scattered around the wooded areas in a campsite.
"As well, we do have two areas where the main fuselage came down, one on (the west) side of [Green River], and one on the east side of the river," he said in a phone interview.
Second Lt. Erin Edwards with the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre said the Cessna and the power glider were both two-seater aircraft and were each carrying two people.
The bodies of the pilot and passenger in each aircraft have been recovered she said.
Knapton said all of the provincial park's campsites were full on Saturday.
"It's a terrible thing anytime something like this happens," he said. "We're thankful just that with a full campsite like this that nobody on the ground here actually got hurt by some of the debris that came down."
Knapton said the identities will not be released until BC Coroners Services reach the scene, and the victims families have been notified.
A police news release said the Cessna was from the community of 100 Mile House while the glider was based out of Pemberton. It was not immediately clear if the occupants were from those communities.
The Transportation Safety Board also said it will conduct an investigation. (The Canadian Press)
News from © iNFOnews, 2013