Crash victim recovery a slow process

It will likely be later in the week before the BC Coroner Service is able to positively identify the three victims of Sunday's float plane crash off Highway 97C near Brenda Mines.

Photo: Kelly Hayes - Castanet

Exclusive aerial photos of Sunday's crash scene

While it has been confirmed through other sources that Colin Moyes, 52, was piloting the plane, Coroner Barb McLintock says the other victims of the crash won't be identified until Wednesday at the earliest.

The de Havilland Beaver plane owned by Moyes went down in a wooded area just off the highway about 6:45 Sunday evening, killing all three people on board.

McLintock says one body was removed Monday and expects the other two will be recovered sometime today (Tuesday).

"We had hoped we could have completed the recovery yesterday (Monday) but that didn't happen, the scene was too complex and we had to wait for a while to make sure it was safe before the team could even start," says McLintock.

"They are back out at the scene this morning finishing the recovery. Once that's done we will be able to start the work to confirm the identities."

McLintock says much of the delay in recovery was due to the intense fire that resulted from the crash.

She says fire crews had to make sure there were no hot spots remaining from the fire before it was safe to work in the area.

"Just because there had been a hot fire it makes recovery a little more difficult because there is a lot of debris as well."

The bodies will be flown to Vancouver General Hospital for positive identification.