The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search Monday for nine people who went missing in Puget Sound after departing near Seattle on a seaplane, The Associated Press reported.
Carrying a total of 10 people — nine adults and one child — the plane took off from the San Juan Islands and crashed in Washington's Mutiny Bay on Sunday. That night, authorities recovered one dead body from the crash.
"Coast Guard assets completed 26 search sorites, covering 1,283 linear nautical miles and saturating an area of more than 2,100 sq. nautical miles," the Pacific Northwest Coast Guard wrote on Twitter.
"All next of kin have been notified of this decision. Our hearts go out to the families, loved ones, and friends of those who remain missing and the deceased," the guard added.
Northwest Seaplanes, who supplied the aircraft and trip, told the Coast Guard that two planes took off from Friday Harbor on Sunday afternoon, with one of the planes diverting slightly off course before losing all contact with the other.
"Shortly after that, he noticed on his flight tracker that the flight had stopped tracking and notified authorities," stated Scott Giard, the head of the Coast Guard's Pacific Northwest search and rescue team.
Officials reported "the aircraft dropped suddenly at a fair amount of speed and hit the water," Giard said. "We don't have any video or pictures of the incident as of this moment."
Meanwhile, the National Transportation Safety Board announced on Twitter it is investigating the de Havilland DHC-3 Otter plane that crashed, likely for potential issues in the model.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.