Woodstock family members among 6 killed in Alaska sightseeing plane crash

KETCHIKAN, AK — A mother and daughter from Woodstock were among six people who died in Thursday’s sightseeing plane crash in southeast Alaska.

According to a report by The Associated Press, Alaska State Troopers released the victim identifications Saturday night.

The two local victims were identified as 55-year-old Andrea McArthur and her 20-year-old daughter Rachel McArthur. Both lived in the Woodstock area in 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 a part of a cruise ship excursion to see the wilderness area that features some of the most breathtaking peaks and valleys near the ships stop in Ketchikan.

The U.S. Coast Guard said the seaplane’s emergency beacon was activated around 11:20 a.m. local time on Thursday and rescue crews began searching for the plane shortly afterward.

The Coast Guard said a helicopter company was able to identify wreckage in a ridgeline near the Monument about three hours after the emergency beacon was activated. The agency sent rescue swimmers to the site in an effort to search for survivors but did not find any.

Recovery efforts were delayed due to weather and visibility problems which kept state troopers and rescue workers from getting to the site until Saturday afternoon.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash along with the FAA. No information has been released on the cause of the crash at this time.