Rescue Efforts Called Off in Crash

Hampered by snow and low clouds, U.S. and Canadian crews called off rescue efforts Sunday for 10 people believed killed when a plane operated by a small regional airline crashed into icy Lake Erie shortly after taking off from a Canadian island.

Canadian authorities said Sunday that nine people aboard the flight were Canadian and one person was from Los Angeles.

The single-engine plane crashed in snowy conditions late Saturday afternoon, and by Sunday was submerged in 24 feet of water about a mile west of Pelee Island, police said.

“Unfortunately, this has changed from a rescue mission to a recovery mission,” said Constable Brian Knowler of the provincial police in Kingsville, Canada.

A statement said rescue operations ended at 1 p.m.

The Georgian Express plane, carrying eight hunters from Ontario, the pilot and a friend of the pilot, was bound for Windsor, about 35 miles to the northwest, when the pilot made a frantic call for help soon after taking off.

The wreckage of the Cessna 208 Caravan, which seats 14 passengers, was found Saturday evening in western Lake Erie, between Cleveland and Detroit, but bad weather kept rescuers from searching for the victims.

“The weather became a very big factor in our efforts,” said Capt. Dave Elit of the Canadian search and rescue coordination center at Canadian Forces Base Trenton.

Authorities identified the Canadian victims as pilot Wayne Price, 32, of Richmond Hill; Fred Freitas, 38, and Larry Janik, 48, both of Kingsville; Jim Allan, 51, of Mitchell’s Bay; Ted Reeve, 53, Tom Reeve, 49, and Robert Brisco, 46, all of Chatham; Ronald Spencler, 53, and Walter Sadowski, 48, both of Windsor; and Jamie Levine, 28, of Los Angeles.

The eight male passengers were part of a hunting group and Levine was a friend of Price’s.