The father of a pilot whose float plane went missing over Alaska has confirmed that all three passengers on board have been found alive, according to reports.
The adult pilot and two juvenile passengers were rescued from the wreckage of a float plane by members of the Alaska Army National Guard. All three were transported to a hospital on the Kenai Peninsula to receive treatment for non-life-threatening injuries, according to local reports.
Officials say that a Good Samaritan pilot raised the alarm after spotting the Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser near the eastern side of Tustumena Lake.
A search was launched on Monday involving Alaska State Troopers and the U.S. Coastguard after the plane, which reportedly departed from Soldotna Airport on Sunday afternoon on a sightseeing flight, was overdue.
State troopers have said that a rescue helicopter is en route to the spotted wreckage. The agency promised to release further details after they had investigated the site, according to Alaska News Now.
The father of the missing pilot, identified as a 38-year-old from Sterling, Alaska, told the outlet he has “air in his lungs” again after the discovery.
Authorities previously stated that they believed the aircraft may be near Tustumena Lake and the Kenai Mountains, 220 miles southwest of Anchorage.
The 60,000-acre lake has been described by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game as “notorious for its sudden dangerous winds,” according to the Associated Press.
Alarms were raised when the plane didn’t return when expected, while the pilot’s cellphone last “pinged” around 5 p.m. Sunday in the Tustumena Lake area, according to the Alaska News Now.
Additional reporting by AP.
