A low-flying plane had emergency responders at the ready in the Shuswap and Vernon, but none could say what became of it.
On Tuesday, April 9, at approximately 5:30 p.m., Columbia Shuswap Regional District fire departments received reports of smaller airplane, with smoke possibly emanating from it, flying low from the direction of Malakwa (as seen in the video below submitted by Taiya Holden), through the Shuswap towards the Salmon River valley.
“We did get a call from the Salmon River Road area that reported a low-flying plane,” said CSRD spokesperson Tracy Hughes. “The Silver Creek Fire Department did go out but couldn’t find anything. And they felt that it was going towards Vernon and Vernon Fire Department was notified.”
Vernon Fire Chief David Lind said they department had firefighters on standby at the Vernon Regional Airport.
“(They) stood by until dispatch notified us to stand-down, engine one clear. So nothing came in,” said Lind.
Ian Adkins, supervisor at the Vernon airport, had a similar story.
“I got call about the plane from dispatch,” said Adkins. “I checked on here, nothing ever showed up, I never heard anything on the radio, on our frequency.”
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The Observer contacted the Kamloops and Kelowna airports, as well as Mabel Lake Resort, which oversees the Mabel Lake Airpark, and none had any information about the plane.
Adkins noted, however, that there are several airstrips in the North-Okanagan where it might have landed.
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