Three people have been found dead and a fourth is missing after a plane crashed at Barwon Heads, near Geelong in Victoria, on Friday afternoon.
The light passenger plane from Moorabbin Airport crashed into the ocean off the Victorian coast about 12.30pm on Friday.
Police confirmed three people had been found dead shortly after 2.30pm.
Inspector Graham Banks told reporters in Queenscliff three bodies had been retrieved, and there could be a fourth.
“We believe there is a fourth,” he said on Friday. “We don’t believe any of the victims were children.”
Sky News reported two of the victims were male and one female.
Banks said police were yet to establish whether the plane, which crashed about 2km off shore, was a private or a tourist aircraft. He said there were no indications the plane started to break up before it hit the water.
The plane is believed to have crashed near the HMAS Canberra, which was sunk to make a reef in 28-metre deep water in 2009.
A witness who was just one kilometre from the crash was still “extremely distressed”, Banks said.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau said it was investigating but had no details yet. It is unclear if there was a distress call, or whether wet weather was involved.
Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Stephen King said there had been showers and low cloud at the time of the crash.
UPDATE: Emergency services dispatched to rescue passengers from a plane crash at Barwon Heads. #9News pic.twitter.com/a3EXL2xqNs
— Nine News Melbourne (@9NewsMelb) January 29, 2016
Barwon Heads is on the south Victorian coast, on the Bellarine Peninsula about 25km south of Geelong.
Two air ambulance helicopters were dispatched following the crash, Ambulance Victoria said on Twitter.
Air Ambulance at Barwon Heads pic.twitter.com/A1oHj9HpIK
— Angus Brooks (@brooks_angus) January 29, 2016
Jeff Brooks, from Barwon Heads Airport, said the plane was not one from the area.
“The plane was not one associated with our airport either,” he said. “To be honest, the weather here is appalling. I’m surprised anyone was flying, I wouldn’t be flying in it.
“People like to fly along the coast because it’s nice to look at, but there’s not much to see on a day like today.”
