11 rescued after seaplane crashes off Washington coast
Four people were taken to hospital with serious injuries, said a Kenmore Air spokesperson. One of the four injured passengers was taken to hospital in a critical condition
ATT Desk Report 
Multiple people have been rescued after a seaplane carrying 11 people made an emergency landing on Thursday off the coast of Washington, prompting a multi-agency search and rescue operation.
All 11 people – a pilot and 10 passengers – aboard the Kenmore Air seaplane have been accounted for after the aircraft made an emergency landing and caught fire near Sucia Island in the San Juan Islands, the US Coast Guard said, CNN reported.
Four people were taken to hospital with serious injuries, said a Kenmore Air spokesperson. One of the four injured passengers was taken to hospital in a critical condition, San Juan County Sheriff Eric Peter said.
The victims' injuries range from "head injuries to broken bones and lacerations", Peter said.
What prompted the aircraft to make an emergency landing is unknown.
Kenmore Air said in a statement that the floatplane took off at 4:30 pm from Lake Union in Seattle and was heading to Roche Harbor, about 100 miles northwest, when it went down around 45 minutes after take-off.
The US Coast Guard said it received the initial reports at around 5:25 pm and immediately launched search and rescue assets alongside the US Navy, the Canadian Coast Guard and local agencies.
CNN has reached out to Kenmore Air, the San Juan County Sheriff's Office, the US Navy, the Canadian Coast Guard and the FAA.
Emergency dispatch audio captured authorities coordinating search and rescue efforts, including the deployment of a US Coast Guard helicopter and a Canadian Coast Guard hovercraft.
"We have multiple vessels in the water," a person says in the dispatch audio. Later in the audio, another person says there were two boats carrying people who had been on board the aircraft.
Six passengers were taken to a hospital in Bellingham, four passengers were transported to a hospital in Harbor, and the pilot was taken to a hospital in Mount Vernon, the airline said in its statement.
"We are grateful that everyone on board has been accounted for, and our immediate focus is ensuring our passengers and pilot receive the care and support they need," Kenmore Air CEO David Gudgel said in the statement.
"Kenmore Air is fully cooperating with the investigating authorities, and we will continue providing verified information as it becomes available," Gudgel said.
Founded in 1946, Kenmore Air is the largest seaplane airline in the United States, carrying more than 90,000 passengers annually on scheduled, scenic and charter flights.
Kenmore Air said it has cancelled all its scheduled flights for Friday as the team "focuses on supporting the passengers, pilot, families, employees and emergency response efforts".
While the cause of the crash remains unknown, weather conditions at the time were windy, with ground-level gusts from the south reaching 20 mph and rain showers moving into the area.
