Aug. 27 (UPI) — Four people are dead after a plane crashed into the sea water in Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula in the town of Seldovia.

A Piper PA-24 heading to Seldovia from Anchorage crashed into Seldovia Slough around 1:15 p.m. AKDT Wednesday, state troopers said in a statement.

The plane was submerged in 13 to 17 feet of water near Seldovia’s airport. People at the scene tried to reach the plane and help the people inside but couldn’t, said Clint Johnson, Alaska region chief for the National Transportation Safety Board.

Troopers arrived at the site around about 4:30 p.m., said Austin McDaniel, spokesperson for the Alaska Department of Public Safety. Alaska State Troopers and Wildlife Troopers from Anchor Point arrived on a patrol vessel, and the agency sent a helicopter from Anchorage.

After the tide level dropped, troopers were able to remove the bodies of four adults from the plane. Seldovia’s tides rise and lower by as much as 20 feet multiple times per day, said KTUU TV News.

The identities of the victims haven’t been released, but the plane was registered to Eric Middlebrook of Anchorage. It’s unclear if he was the pilot.

Seldovia is about 250 miles from Anchorage and requires a ferry ride from Homer.