RCMP recover 3 bodies after float plane crash off Vancouver Island

Mounties say they have recovered the bodies of all three people who were aboard a float plane that crashed off B.C.'s central coast last week.

The crash occurred Wednesday afternoon in Strachan Bay, about 50 kilometres north of Port Hardy.

Wreckage of the plane wasn't found until two days after the crash on Friday, despite immediate search efforts.

On Monday, the RCMP said the bodies of all three people aboard were located over the weekend.

"Efforts to locate the plane and any potential survivors have been ongoing since the day of the crash,” said Cpl. Alex Bérubé, spokesperson for the BC RCMP, in a statement.

"Working through challenging weather conditions, our divers were able to locate the bodies of the pilot and the two passengers on Saturday, Nov. 26," he said.

Police say there's no suspected criminality involved in the crash.

The BC Coroners Service is continuing its investigation and is now in possession of the bodies.

Shortly after the crash, Port Hardy Mayor Patricia Corbett-Labatt told CTV News the fatal crash was "devastating" for the community.

The plane was heading from a logging camp in B.C.'s central coast to Port Hardy.

The plane was owned by Air Cab, which is based out of Coal Harbour, near Port Hardy.

Joel Eilersten, owner of Air Cab, told CTV News that he had ongoing concerns about two weather stations in the area that had been out of service for quite some time.

After the crash occurred, the Transportation Safety Board said it was dispatching investigators to the scene.

With files from CTV News Vancouver Island's Gord Kurbis and The Canadian Press.