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Final victim, fuselage of plane recovered

| July 10, 2020 1:00 AM

COEUR d’ALENE — The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office sonar team located the last two victims of Sunday’s plane accident. Their bodies, along with the main portion of the second aircraft, were recovered Wednesday evening and Thursday from Lake Coeur d’Alene.

The Sonar Team, the Dive Rescue Team and technical rescue divers were able to recover one of the victims in about 125 feet of water on Wednesday evening.

The final victim was located Wednesday night, but he was in the wrecked fuselage of the Cessna, one of two aircraft which collided on Sunday afternoon and sank to the bottom of the lake, the sheriff’s office reported. At that time, he could not be removed by divers.

“(Thursday) the airplane recovery team was able to raise the Cessna from the lake bottom, which had the last victim in it,” the sheriff’s office reported in a press release issued Thursday evening. “The victim was handed over to the Kootenai County Coroner’s Office. Again, the names of the remaining victims are not being released until approved by the coroner’s office.”

Recovery efforts will continue today to start bringing up the rest of the wrecked aircrafts. At this time, it is unknown how long this process will take. The recovery efforts will be overseen by the National Transportation Safety Board and contractors hired by the insurance company for the two aircrafts, the release said.

Eight people were killed when the Brooks Seaplane that departed from Independence Point and a Cessna that departed from Felts Field in Spokane collided in mid-air near Powderhorn Bay about 2:20 p.m. Sunday. Five passengers and the pilot were in the Seaplane, and a pilot and passenger were in the Cessna.

Neil Lunt, 58, of Liberty Lake was piloting the seaplane occupied by Sean Fredrickson, 48, of Lake Oswego, Ore. A 16-year-old girl, a 16-year-old boy and an 11-year-old boy were also identified as passengers, along with another adult.

In order to ensure the safety of the personnel for the recovery, a portion of the lake around the crash site will be closed to boaters and will be marked with buoys. Boaters are asked to stay close to shore.

Additionally, the Loffs Bay Boat Launch will be closed temporarily while rescue efforts are taking place.

KCSO officials thanked members of the Sonar and Dive Teams as well as Jake’s Diving for their dedication and tireless work while locating and retrieving all the victims so the family could have some closure.