Twenty-year-old Williams Lake resident Spencer Neufeld was the pilot and lone survivor of a float plane crash on Tyaughton Lake in Gold Bridge this week.
The float plane crashed sometime around 1 p.m. Wednesday, RCMP said, in a lake situated between Lillooet and Pemberton.
At the time Neufeld was airlifted to a hospital in Kamloops with serious but non-life threatening injuries. Police say he was able to make it out of the wreckage on his own but was pulled from the water by nearby witnesses.
“We would like to thank everyone who has expressed concern about our son, Spencer, who was injured in an airplane crash at Tyaughton Lake on Aug. 1, 2018,” the Neufeld family said in a statement issued through Interior Health.
“Spencer is recovering after undergoing surgery at Royal Inland Hospital. We are grateful that his injuries are non-life threatening. Spencer would like to thank the people who came to his rescue and saved his life after the accident, as well as the staff at Royal Inland Hospital for his continuing care.”
READ MORE: 1 person dead, another missing after plane crash in B.C. lake
More details from RCMP this morning. It was a 20 y/old man from #PrinceGeorgeBC who died in the float plane accident. Pilot was another man, 20, from #WilliamsLakeBC. 3rd man still missing, search continues @BlackPressMedia https://t.co/3cWeH0AB91
— Ashley Wadhwani (@ashwadhwani) August 2, 2018
Police confirmed a 20-year-old man from Prince George died at the scene of the crash, while the body of a second victim, a 29-year-old man from Aldergrove, was recovered Thursday by the RCMP Underwater Recovery Team.
“Our thoughts especially go out to the families of the other people on the plane,” read the statement.
According to witnesses, the plane plunged into the lake shortly after takeoff. At this time, investigators say it’s too early to speculate on the cause of the crash.
The Transportation Safety Board is investigating.
Do you have a comment about this story? email: editor@wltribune.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
