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A high-profile British CEO, his two sons, his fiancée, her young daughter and the pilot have been identified as the six victims of the fatal seaplane crash into the Hawkesbury River on New Year’s Eve.
Richard Cousins, 58, his sons, Ed, 23, and William, 25, Emma Bowden, and her daughter Heather, 11, lived in London and were visiting Australia on the trip-of-a-lifetime when they embarked on the popular “fly-dine” sightseeing trip.
Their bodies were recovered on Sunday but the wreckage of the plane is still submerged. Authorities are working to determine the cause of the tragic crash that was witnessed by many revellers celebrating New Year’s Eve on the river.
The Sun reports that the couple had finalised the guest list for their June wedding just days before the holiday. Cousins had lost his first wife to cancer just three years ago after being diagnosed six weeks before her death.
Sydney Seaplane boss Aaron Shaw announced that all of its aircraft have been grounded as an investigation was launched. He paid tribute to the experienced pilot, Gareth Morgan, 44, saying he was ‘a lovely guy’.
“We are all absolutely devastated at his loss. Ringing his parents today was the one of the worst calls I’ve had to make in my life.
“We just want to get to the bottom of this as quickly as we can. We are focusing on helping our staff and the relevant authorities.”
