There were two minor airplane crashes in our region over the weekend.
On Friday, an airplane crashed into Lake St. John near Bluebird Street, which is close to the Orillia Rama Regional Airport. According to Const. Lori Baker of the Orillia OPP Community Mobilization Unit, there were no reported injuries during the incident.
“There are no witnesses and the complainant who called it in just said they heard a loud noise. When they looked out onto the lake they saw the airplane in the water,” she said.
On social media, it had been rumoured that a citizen may have jumped in to help the two occupants of the plane get out of the water. Baker is unable to confirm if that was the case.
“There is an investigation underway to determine what exactly occurred, and that investigation is taking place through the Transportation and Safety Board of Canada,” she explained.
This was the scene of a plane that experienced failure upon take off crashing into Lake St. John, Ramara. #Orillia_OPP @Rama_Police and @Ramaratwp Fire responded. People nearby brought the two occupants ashore where they were assessed by @simcoecounty Paramedics, no injuries.^mh pic.twitter.com/901jkoVb0P
— OPP Central Region (@OPP_CR) August 13, 2021
A dozen Ramara Township firefighters responded to the crash on Friday.
“The airplane did flip over, and it was upside down in the lake. The occupants were able to get out and to shore with no injuries,” said Ramara Fire Chief Tony Stong.
On Sunday, emergency services personnel responded to a separate plane crash on Long Lake in Severn Township.
“There are some rumblings that some wind had caught the plane, but I can’t confirm that’s actually what happened,” Baker said.
“We don’t have on our record any witnesses that saw what happened. We spoke with the people who were aboard the plane and they were safe.”
Baker says both incidents are indeed considered crashes instead of bumpy landings, despite there being no reported injuries.
“Without being there or seeing any pictures it’s hard to see the kind of damage that happened,” Baker said.
“When you have a minor motor vehicle crash with no injuries it’s still considered a collision. So, I would think that these incidents would still be considered collisions whether it be a landing that went wrong or something different.”
