Coast Guard, Canadian Naval Vessels Continue Search

U.S. Coast Guard and Canadian Navy vessels continue to work towards finding an airplane, which crash-landed Saturday night, and the young passenger who is still missing. The plane crashed in the vicinity of President Channel, on the west end of Orcas Island. A Canadian Navy vessel, with side-scan sonar, arrived last night and continues to search for the submurged plane. A second Canadian Navy vessel has equipment and dive personnel that can submerge to depths of 300 feet. The goals of the responding agencies are to locate the plane and verify if the young passenger is still on board. Coast Guard units remain in the area in case the fourth passenger is not in the plane. The cause of the plane crash is under investigation by the NTSB and FAA. A single-engine piper cub crash-landed in President Channel on Saturday evening. Three passengers; Dr. Michael D. Triplett, Terri Ann Triplett, and Jenna Lise Triplett; were recovered and transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Bellingham, Wash. The fourth passenger, 9-year-old Cheney (pronounced shuh-nay) Triplett, is still missing. U.S. Coast Guard, San Juan County Sheriff, Washington State Parks and good Samaritans responded to the incident.