Six Dead As Tourist Plane Crashed Into A River North Of Sydney

Six people have died after a seaplane crashed into a river north of Sydney on New Year's eve, with four Britons including an 11-year-old boy reported to be among the dead.

Video taken from a nearby boat shows what is believed to be the doomed aircraft just moments before it plunged into the Hawkesbury River around 3pm local time.

Police say the wreckage of the plane, operated by Sydney Seaplanes, was eventually found on the bottom of Cowan Creek under 42ft of water with the bodies inside.

All of the victims have now been pulled from the water and emergency services are now working to retrieve the plane. Police have not yet identified the dead, and say they do not know what caused the crash. 

Witness Myles Baptiste said he saw the plane crash. He told 9News: 'It made a tight right-hand turn and as it actually turned around, the wings dipped and it nosedived straight into the water.'

'For reasons that are not known at this stage, the plane has hit the water and it has subsequently sunk,' said a police spokesperson.

'At the time of the collision, there was a pilot and five passengers on board. I can confirm the six people on the plane are deceased.'  

The plane crashed while flying a party of five from Cottage Point to Rose Bay on Sydney Harbour ahead of the New Year's Eve fireworks display.

Sydney Seaplanes managing director Aaron Shaw confirmed that the aircraft was one of theirs and said they were working with police on the scene.

He said: 'All at Sydney Seaplanes are deeply shocked by this incident and the resulting loss of life.

'We wish to pass on our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the passengers and pilot who were tragically killed. We do not yet know the cause of the accident.

'We are dedicating our full resources in assisting the NSW Police, the Australian Transport Safety Board, Civil Aviation Safety Authority and other relevant authorities to understand the cause of the accident.'