'I've killed them all,' B.C. pilot said: rescuer

A man who rescued the pilot after Sunday's six-deathcrash of a seaplane off B.C.'s Saturna Island says the pilot cried out in despair, "I've killed them all."

A womanand her six-month-old baby were among those killedwhen the Seair de Havilland Beaver crashed in Lyall Harbour just after taking off about 4:10 p.m. PT

The first to arrive on the scene was James White, whosawthe pilot and a woman who was screaming, 'Help me, help me.'

After White got them out of the water, heasked the pilot how many had been aboard and the pilot said he had a full load, adding, 'I've killed them all.'

The victims include 41-year-old Dr. Kerry Margaret Morrissey of Vancouver also known as Kerry Telford and her baby Sarah.

Morrissey's sister-in-law Sharon Morrissey describes heras a cool person who helped women get medical care in places like South America.

The others killed were:Catherine White-Holman, 55,of Vancouver;Thomas Gordon Glenn, 60,of White Rock, B.C.; andCindy Schafer, 44,andRichard Bruce Haskett, 49, both of Huntington Beach, Calif.

It's not known what caused the crash, but the Transportation Safety Board of Canada is hoping the pilot,who is now in hospital,will be able to tell investigators what went wrong. The names of the pilot and the surviving passenger were not immediately released.

Seairvoluntarily suspended operations Monday out of respect for the victims and their families, anairline spokesman said.

The victims' remainswere found in the submerged plane, which divers located 13 metres below the surface of the water, said Troy Haddock, maritime co-ordinator for the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Victoria.

'As I looked out, I saw [the plane] nosediving into the water.' Michael Vautour, eyewitness

Haddock said divers searched for eight hours before they found the wreckage.

"The reports that we have are the doors were open, there was some twisted wreckage, but that's all the details we have now," Haddock said

Transportation Safety Boardinvestigator Bill Yearwood said laterMondayit did not appear the plane was overloadedwhen it took off.Investigators will be looking at the distribution of the weight, however, once the craft is lifted from the waterTuesday, he said.

Community in mourning

Residents of Saturna Island, in the Strait of Georgia about 50 kilometres south of Vancouver,began gathering Monday morning at the community hall for an update on the accident and to share their grief.

Seair president Peter Clarke issueda shortstatement saying his company is co-operating with the investigationand it will be up to thesafety boardto provide moredetails.

"Our primary concern right now is for the passengers, their family and [the] pilot on board the flight and our employees," Clarke said.

Unconfirmed reports indicate the flight came from Pender Island and had stopped to pick up passengers at Saturna Island on its way to Vancouver.

'A bit of a flash'

BC Ferries employee Michael Vautour said he saw the crash from his office on the harbour.

"I noticed a bit of a flash, and that's what made me look out the window. And as I looked out, I saw [the plane] nosediving into the water," he said.

'We were sitting next to them in the pub and just talking to them, just minutes before.' Allen Olson, Saturna Island resident

"The tail stayed up for four or five minutes and, during that time, a couple of locals ran down to our government dock, boarded their boats and zoomed out to see if they could help anyone, and by the time they got there, the tail had gone under water,"Vautour said.

Allen Olson told CBC News he was in a nearby pub earlier that afternoon, watching the Grey Cup game with some of the peoplewho later boarded the plane. Minutes after thepeople left to go catch their flight, someone ran into the pub saying the plane had crashed.

Olson and several other pub patrons jumped in several boats and headed to the crash site. When Olson arrived at the scene,two boats were alreadythere with some of the other people from the pub who were trying to help the pilot and a female passenger.

Theother six passengerswent down with theplane.

"We were sitting next to them in the pub and just talking to them, just minutes before," Olson said. "The next thing you know, you are out there looking for them in the water, and there is nothing to be seen, nothing, not a trace.

Last year, there were two fatal seaplane crashes off B.C.'s coast. In August 2008, five people died when a Pacific Coastal Airlines Grumman Goose crashed on Vancouver Island.

In November 2008, one man survived a crash that killed seven others on Thormanby Island,between themainland and northern Vancouver Island.