Tragic Seaplane Crash Near Rottnest Island Claims Three Lives

A seaplane crash off Rottnest Island, Western Australia, has left three people dead and four others injured. The privately owned Cessna 208 Caravan crashed near Thomson Bay on January 6, 2025, after reportedly hitting a limestone outcrop, Phillip Rock, during takeoff.

Seven people, including the pilot, were on board. While four survivors were rescued and airlifted to hospitals, police divers recovered the bodies of the pilot, a 34-year-old Perth man, and two tourists—a 65-year-old Swiss woman and a 60-year-old Danish man.

Witnesses described the plane reaching only three meters above the water before tipping over and crashing. Quick action from nearby civilians and rescue crews saved lives, with emergency services executing a complex operation to retrieve the victims and wreckage.

The seaplane, recently acquired by Swan River Seaplanes, had been operating scenic flights. Authorities, including the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, are investigating the cause of the crash.