A family have been killed during a dream bush holiday after their aircraft nosedived into the river just moments after take-off.
Thomas Rings, 59, wife Dr Evelyn Rings, 57, and daughters Alicia, 19, and Paulina, 17, had been staying at a river lodge for three days on the River Chobe in Namibia.
They were picked up by South African pilot Nicole Mienie, who tragically died with the family, in a Cessna 210 high-wing plane for the 2-hour flight back to the capital Windhoek on Tuesday, August 30.
The family are thought to have taken a river taxi up to Impalila Island where there is a former South African National Defence airstrip built during the Border Wars.
The airstrip was renovated last year by the Namibian Navy and was home to the Namibian Marine Corps, but private charter flights are allowed to land and take off for tourists.
The Rings family boarded the flight with the young pilot from the Klein Karoo in South Africa who passed her Cessna 210 rating a year ago and settled down for the short transfer.
But just a minute into the flight villagers said they heard a “loud bang” and the six-seater light aircraft was seen nosediving into the River Zambezi close to the shore.
Eyewitness accounts claim to have heard either all or some of those inside shouting for help - but they were trapped in the sinking wreckage and it is feared some may have drowned.
Part of the tail of the plane was found lying on the river bank by local villagers.
It is thought the German family had been enjoying a two-week break in the African bush and had chartered the light aircraft to fly them back to Windhoek for a flight to Germany.
The family had been staying at the luxury Chobe Water Villas just down six miles down-river at Kasika where luxury waterside suites cost £1300 for a room-for-two per night inclusive.
Air Accident Investigator chief Magnus Abraham said: “We can confirm at about 1.45pm on Tuesday a light aircraft Cessna 210 crashed on take from Impalila Island with 5 on board.
“There was a South African pilot and a German family of four onboard the flight run by a private operator and we have launched a full inquiry into the circumstances of the crash”.
He said the bodies had all been recovered and taken to a nearby hospital mortuary.
Those on board the plane suffered multiple injuries but it is feared some may have drowned.
An eyewitness told local reporters: ”There was part of the back of the plane on the bank which may have washed up but the rest of it was about 30 feet out into the river .
“It can be clearly seen and although there are hippos and crocodiles in the river men went out with axes and cut their way into the plane and were able to remove the bodies.
“The plane is still in the water and investigators are now examining it and trying to work out a way to get it onto the bank but nobody knows yet why the plane fell out of the sky.
“It is said screams were heard from the plane so some or perhaps all were alive but could not get out in time before it sank in the river and filled up inside with water” she said.
The police have officially identified the pilot and the German family of four.
Chief Inspector Elifas Kuwinga stated that their bodies were taken to the Katima Mulilo State Hospital Mortuary where post mortems will be carried out for cause of death.
The runway has been rundown for many years on Impalila Island and another Cessna high wing which had to make an emergency landing there in 2017 with Swiss tourists crashed.
The plane’s wing hit overgrown bushes and trees on the runway but all survived.
Impalila Island is bordered to the north by the Zambezi river and to the south by the Chobe River and from the island you can see Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana.
The 10-mile by six-mile island has a population of 2500 people in 25 villages and the repaired airstrip is used to bring in wealthy tourists who transfer to expensive lodges by river taxis.
Namibian Police are guarding the wreckage by the village of Muwana until air investigators have concluded their work and divers have been brought in to help raise the wreckage.
