'Right place at the right time': Coastal First Nations members help save floatplane passengers after Tofino crash
Witnesses say it happened in the blink of an eye.
On Monday, a floatplane landing in Tofino’s harbour banked hard at the last moment, but not before hitting a water taxi.
"One of my good friends drives the boat. I thought I was witnessing my friend die in front of me," said witness, Floyd Campbell Jr.
Watching on in horror, Campbell says the plane's propeller lightly clipped the boat, throwing sparks into the blue water below.
The aircraft's pontoon would also scrape against the small water taxi before it splashed down into the harbour.
As the vessel began sinking, a group of First Nations water taxi pilots on a nearby dock quickly jumped into action.
Full throttle, water taxi pilot Kenney Brown rushed to the side of the half-submerged plane and began doing what he knows all too well.
"I pulled the child in first, then the father and then the two ladies," said Brown.
On Monday, the Ahousaht First Nations member would save four people from the cold Pacific water rushing up around them.
The pilot of the plane jumped on to the water taxi he struck, which, according to its owner, suffered only cosmetic damage.
No one was seriously injured in the crash.
NOT THE FIRST TIME
Rescuing strangers in dangerous situations is nothing new for Kenney Brown.
In 2015, he would help save more than a dozen people from a sinking whale watching boat off Tofino.
At the time, the Leviathan II was hit with a rogue wave while on a tour near Vargas Island.
Six people would die in one of the worst modern nautical disasters on Canada’s far West Coast.
This week, Brown was again where he seems to be when disaster strikes.
Water taxi pilot Kenney Brown helped rescue passengers aboard a floatplane that flipped in Tofino: (CTV News)
"I was in the right place at the right time," Brown told CTV Vancouver Island.
"The one young kid I saved is the same age as my son," he said. "I couldn't fathom my son climbing out of a plane like that. My heart was heavy. I cried."
According to the owner of the water taxi hit by the Tofino Air floatplane, the crash is now under investigation by the Transportation Safety Board.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Asking rent prices up 9.3% across Canada, Ontario sees only decline: report
A new report says the average asking rent for a home in Canada in April was up 9.3 per cent compared with a year ago, while a slight month-over-month increase was also recorded for the first time since January.
What is basic income, and how would it impact me?
Parliamentarians are considering a pair of bills aiming to lift people out of poverty through a basic income program, but some fear these types of systems could result in more taxes for Canadians who are already financially struggling.
'I may have some nightmares:' Man survives being bitten by 2 sharks in Bahamas
A man who was bitten by two sharks in the Bahamas said Thursday he's 'thankful that I'm here' while sharing his story of survival.
Prince William says wife Kate is 'doing well'
Prince William said on Friday his wife Kate was 'doing well' in a rare public comment about the Princess of Wales as she undergoes preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
Ontario coroner to investigate death of man who suffered cardiac arrest while waiting in ER
A provincial coroner will be investigating the death of 68-year-old David Lippert, who suffered a cardiac arrest while waiting in a crowded emergency room in Kitchener, Ont.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
WATCH Expecting an interest rate cut in June? Don't bet on it after new jobs data
Canada's labour market rebounded in April, adding more than 90,000 jobs, a staggering number of new positions after four consecutive months of little change.
'Irate male' assaulted Newfoundland officers with block of cheese, police say
Police in Newfoundland say patrol officers were assaulted Thursday by a "very irate male" wielding a block of cheese.
Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.