A Canadian Ranger says he was hoping for the best when he rushed to the plane that crashed near Fort Smith Tuesday, leaving six people dead and one injured.

Sgt. Gordon Rothnie, who is from the South Slave town, said he and four colleagues received the call and went by snowmobile to help at the crash site.

SA国际影视传媒淔rom my perspective, you go in with a lot of optimism to assist in any way you can, do the best you can, depending on the circumstances and it was a difficult situation,SA国际影视传媒� Rothnie said in an interview Thursday.

SA国际影视传媒淚 refused to accept what I was witnessing. Even going to bed that night I was still wanting to search.SA国际影视传媒�

Rothnie, 50, said everybody knows everyone in Fort Smith, a community of close to 2,500 people, and he knew the victims but didnSA国际影视传媒檛 reveal their names.

He said the connection he has to the community makes this an intimate loss.

SA国际影视传媒淲hen something like this happens youSA国际影视传媒檙e connected. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 not like youSA国际影视传媒檙e anonymous. ThereSA国际影视传媒檚 always some connection,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

SA国际影视传媒淵ouSA国际影视传媒檙e not impartial. ThereSA国际影视传媒檚 an intimacy. Your children played together or you knew them so I would say the painful part is for the loved ones who one moment, you have someone dear to you and then theySA国际影视传媒檙e just taken away.SA国际影视传媒�

The charter plane had just taken off from Fort Smith and was en route to the Diavik Diamond Mine on Tuesday morning, when it hit the ground and caught fire.

The territorial coronerSA国际影视传媒檚 office has not identified the victims of the crash, but some family members have.

Clayton Balsillie says his sister Diane Balsillie was among those killed.

She and three others who died worked at the mine, and two were crew members with Northwestern Air Lease.

One mine worker survived and was airlifted to hospital in Yellowknife.

The Transportation Safety Board is investigating and released photos of the crash site Thursday.

The pictures show the plane severely damaged, its fuselage tattered, lying in a heavily wooded area.

SA国际影视传媒擝y Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press, with files from Jeremy Simes and Steve Lambert