Three dead after seaplane crashes near Australian tourist hotspot

A small seaplane ferrying European tourists plunged into the ocean off Western Australia killing three people on board, authorities said today.

The plane crashed Tuesday evening as it left Rottnest Island, a tourist drawcard famous for its friendly marsupials, called quokkas.

As search teams fished the wreckage from the sea on Wednesday, state Premier Roger Cook confirmed three people had died and four others survived.

Among the victims were a 65-year-old woman from Switzerland, a 60-year-old man from Denmark and the 34-year-old pilot.