By Charlene Tebbutt

pulled from the ice

RCMP divers recover human remains, personal items from wreckage of downed plane

Feb 1, 2019 | 12:14 PM

Human remains and a number of personal items have been found in a downed plane that crashed into a northern Saskatchewan lake 60 years ago.

RCMP divers also recovered boots, a camera, pendant, knife and wallet this week. Two men, Pilot Ray Gran and Saskatchewan Conservation Officer Harold Thompson, died in the 1959 crash.

RCMP say the mens’ personal items are with the Saskatchewan Coroner’s Service, and will be turned over the families of the men at a later point. Divers went down to the wreckage four times, RCMP said, travelling two at a time to the bottom to search the plane and surrounding area.

I wish I had more time to see the whole plane, but it was important to gather what we could from the cockpit. I saw the colours and the markings on the plane; it’s obvious it is the right plane.” – RCMP Const. Peter Rhead

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Visibility was poor under the water, close to zero, making the search difficult.

Comments posted to the Saskatchewan RCMP social media pages quote diver Const. Peter Rhead saying, “At the bottom, you can’t see your hand. You have to use a light close to your chest to see what you picked up. I wish I had more time to see the whole plane, but it was important to gather what we could from the cockpit. I saw the colours and the markings on the plane; it’s obvious it is the right plane.”

RCMP Cpl. Rob King told paNOW the plane was upside down in the lake and had some sharp, torn, pieces of exposed metal.

“They were actually quite surprised to find as much as they did given the timeframe and the condition of the plane and the condition of the bottom of the lake,” King said.

A knife was also recovered this week by RCMP divers searching the wreckage of a plane that crashed into Peter Pond Lake in 1959. Facebook/ Saskatchewan RCMP

Extremely cold conditions this week made for cold water as well, but King said divers are well-trained for underwater searches. The search is concluded and RCMP said they hope the recovery operation will bring some closure to the families of the men who died in the plane crash.

Those following the RCMP search this week via social media raised questions about the quality of the camera that was found and whether any photos could still be developed. King said it’s too early to say what might be done with the camera.

“I don’t know if it was something that we would be doing, or something that the coroner’s office, or potentially the family down the road [would do],” King added. “I don’t know the exact condition of the camera at that place, and I don’t know what the condition of possible exposed film would be after 60 years in cold water.”

Charlene.tebbutt@jbpg.ca

On Twitter: @CharleneTebbutt