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KETCHIKAN, AK – A mother and daughter from Woodstock were among six people who died in Thursday’s passenger plane crash in southeast Alaska.
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According to a report by The Associated Press, Alaska state soldiers released casualty identifications on Saturday evening.
The two local victims have been identified as Andrea McArthur, 55, and her daughter Rachel McArthur, 20. Both lived in the Woodstock area of Cherokee County.
Five tourists and the pilot were killed when the plane crashed in the Misty Fjords National Monument area late Thursday morning. They were part of a cruise ship excursion to see the wilderness that features some of the most breathtaking peaks and valleys near the ship’s stops at Ketchikan.
The U.S. Coast Guard said the seaplane’s emergency beacon was activated at around 11:20 a.m. local time on Thursday, and rescue teams began searching for the plane shortly after.
The Coast Guard said a helicopter company was able to identify a wreckage in a ridge line near the monument about three hours after the emergency beacon was activated. The agency sent lifeguard swimmers to the site in an attempt to search for survivors, but could not find any.
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Recovery efforts were delayed due to weather and visibility issues that prevented state soldiers and rescuers from reaching the site until Saturday afternoon.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the accident with the FAA. No information has been released on the cause of the accident yet.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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