Six die as seaplane crashes into NSW river

POLICE divers have recovered the bodies of six people who died after a seaplane crashed into the Hawkesbury River in NSW.

The Sydney Seaplanes aircraft was carrying a pilot and five passengers when it crashed at Cowan Creek, Jerusalem Bay on the Hawkesbury River east of Cowan about 3pm yesterday.

Emergency services, including the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter, were called to the scene and a search-and-rescue operation was immediately launched to locate the plane, which is 13m underwater.

Six bodies had been recovered by police divers at 7.30pm, NSW Police said.

“(We will) see if we can recover the plane tonight or whether it will stay in situ tonight until tomorrow morning,” acting Superintendent Michael Gorman told reporters at the scene.

“We don’t know why the plane crashed.”

The plane was believed to have been travelling from the Cottage Point Inn to Rose Bay, Supt Gorman said.

The ages and identities of those aboard the plane are unknown. Forensic police were on the way to Cowan Creek where they will try and identify the bodies.

A Sydney Seaplanes spokesman said the aircraft was one of theirs and that the company, which has been operating for 80 years, was working with police on the scene.

The Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter found an oil slick and several items of debris on the surface of Cowan Creek, spokesman Stephen Leahy said.

“There appeared to be a silhouette or outline of a small aircraft but it appeared to be submerged in deep water,” he said.