Human Remains, 80% Of Floatplane Wreckage Recovered After Puget Sound Crash

Floatplane Taking Off from Moosehead Lake in Greenville, ME

Photo: Getty Images

Crews have recovered human remains and 80% of the wrecked floatplane that crashed in Puget Sound earlier this month, according to KOMO.

“We were able to get the engine up on Wednesday and today were able to get up 80 percent of the plane, almost the entirety,” Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), said.

A representative from Island County Emergency Management confirmed they recovered human remains in the deadly crash. They haven't been identified.

Ten people died, including a child and the pilot, when the DHC-3 Turbine Otter went down near Whidbey Island on September 4. Only one of the victims was found and identified until this week.

Schroeter Goldmark & Bender (SGB), which represents two of the families of the crash victims, sent a statement to the news station:

"Words cannot adequately convey the depth of our grief," the Hilty family, who are related to some of the victims, said. "The past three weeks have been absolute torture as we continue to anxiously await the retrieval of the plane and, more importantly, our loved ones. Our hope is this retrieval process is successful, but we know this is just the first step on our long, painful road ahead."

Because the floatplane was so deep in the water, officials had to deploy a crane and a remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) to recover the wreckage. Recovery efforts began Tuesday (September 27). NTSB is still investigating what caused the crash.