The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, along with personnel from the US Coast Guard and the WA Department of Fish & Wildlife (DWFW), are responding to a reported aircraft that went down in San Juan Channel near Orcas Island. The incident was reported to San Juan County’s dispatch center around 11:40am. The report noted that an older model plane was flying from north to south then went into the water and sunk. No additional information is available at this time and the number of passengers onboard is unclear.
An official request for dive team assistance was sent to personnel at WDFW and Customs and Border Patrol / the Department of Homeland Security who agreed to respond and are currently working on a plan to respond and assist.
The Sheriff’s Office respectfully requests that media outlets seeking information contact our administrative line (360-370-7621), not dispatch, or the US Coast Guard Public Affairs Office at 206-251-3237.
