Canadian Forces “have not located” downed plane north of City

By
Dan Gray
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0
A CH-149 Cormorant helicopter and its crew from 442 Search and Rescue Squadron provide support for Operation LENTUS, evacuating people out of Merritt, British Columbia (BC), after heavy rain triggered mudslides along a BC highway on 15 November 2021. Please credit: Corporal Parker Salustro, Canadian Armed Forces Photo

SaultOnline has been made aware of significant search and rescue operations south of Wawa.

According to Major Trevor Reid, Public Affairs Officer for the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre out of CFB Trenton.

Taken by Linda Golding near Goulais River – Facebook

There is currently a search going on right now for an overdue small plane that was reported overdue by London’s flight information center on Thursday evening. This aircraft had departed from Delhi, Ontario,” said Reid. “So currently, we have we have several aircraft involved in the search. We have a CH 149 cormorant, a CH 146 Griffin and the CC 130. Hercules, those are all our Royal Canadian Air Force search and rescue aircraft on scene.”

He noted the weather in the area as well as the recent snowfall are making conditions difficult for the search and they are being assisted by both an OPP helicopter as well as a Canadian Coast Guard helicopter in the area. Members of the civil air search and rescue Association are assisting as spotters on the above aircraft.

“A lot of the efforts have been focused more on electronic searches, basically tried to pick up the Emergency Location Transmitter,” said Reid. “We have not located it yet.”

A photo with Mary Reimer’s post about her brother and pilot missing near Wawa, Ontario – Facebook

A post made by a relative of one of the individuals being searched for states the following.

“My brother John and his pilot friend were enroute from Ontario to Alberta in a recently purchased airplane. They made it to somewhere around Wawa Ontario when their signal was lost. They are missing since yesterday evening,” said Mary Reimer.  “We are putting together a search team and they will driving out tonight yet to search all day tomorrow. The weather conditions were not good last night and today is no better. Visibility is very poor. So helicopters have not been able to search properly yet.

We are scared and so worried to say the least. If your a praying person please help us pray that they would be found safely.”

SaultOnline has reached out to OPP who could not confirm any further information.

Stay with SaultOnline/ONNTV as we continue to bring you updates on this and other stories in Sault Ste. Marie and the surrounding area.

With files from wawa-news.com


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