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BC man dies in plane crash

UPDATE 12:20 p.m.

A British Columbia woman says her pilot brother was killed in a plane crash in Honduras on Saturday.

In a phone interview with The Canadian Press on Sunday, Jenna Forseth confirmed her brother Patrick was killed in the crash in the Roatan area, a popular island destination for tourists to the Central American country.

Earlier on Sunday, Global Affairs Canada confirmed a Canadian citizen had died in the crash, but did not identify them due to privacy concerns.

Stefano Maron said consular officials in the capital, Tegucigalpa, were in contact with local authorities and providing assistance to the victim's family.

The Associated Press reports that the other victims of the crash were the plane's four American passengers, citing an Armed Forces spokesman.

The Piper Cherokee Six plummeted into the Atlantic shortly after takeoff from Roatan en route to Trujillo, a port city on Honduras's northern coast.

Jenna Forseth said her brother was "well-loved" in the area, saying "the whole town is in mourning."

Maron added that Global Affairs's thoughts are with the Canadian citizen's friends and family.

The Honduran military said in a statement that rescue boats with police divers and firemen recovered four bodies within minutes of the crash, and transported another to a hospital, where he died shortly after of internal injuries.

The U.S. State Department also confirmed the deaths of four American citizens.


ORIGINAL 9:30 a.m.

Global Affairs Canada confirms that a Canadian citizen has been killed in a plane crash in Honduras.

A spokesperson for the department says the crash happened in the Roatan Islands area, a popular tourist destination in the Central American country.

Stefano Maron says consular officials in the capital, Tegucigalpa, are in contact with local authorities and providing consular assistance to the victim's family.

Local media report that all five people who died in yesterday's crash were foreigners, but there have been conflicting reports of their nationalities.

Maron says Global Affairs's thoughts are with the Canadian citizens friends and family.

He says no further information can be disclosed.



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