Ketchikan Mourns 9 Lost as Officials Initiate Recovery Efforts

Author: KSRM News Desk |

Agencies resumed recovery efforts today for the Ketchikan plane crash which killed all nine aboard Thursday.

 

Megan Peters with the Alaska State Troopers said the site in southeast Alaska is treacherous.

 

Peters: “It’s a very steep terrain, it’s an area that they were concerned if they went in on foot they might trigger a rock slide.”

 

Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad member Chris John said crews plan to access the crash site on an 800 foot cliff above a lake by helicopter.

 

The plan is sitting at a steep angle and crews must stabilize the body of the aircraft.

 

The identities of those passengers have not been released, the Alaska State Troopers are in the process of notifying their next of kin.

 

A passenger of the Holland America Line cruise ship which the plane tourists had also been on described the weather yesterday.

 

“It was dreary, it was raining and there was low clouds but beyond that we were told it was a very normal June day.”

 

They added the tone of the town has changed.

 

“It became sort of a sad somber day here and really sort of put a damper on a lot of vacations.”

 

Wind and rain ended recovery efforts Thursday night. Clouds are a concern Friday but winds have subsided.