The bodies of two men have been retrieved from a Utah lake after a fatal plane wreck trapped them underwater on Friday morning.
The victims were identified as pilot Michael Hyrum Cox, 43, from St. George, Utah and father-of-six passenger Mark Andrew Johnson, 46, from Washington, Utah.
The Cirrus SR22 coming from St. George Airport was cleared to land at Provo Airport when it crashed into the water at about 10 am.
Around 3 pm, Sergeant Garrett Duston confirmed that two passengers were onboard the aircraft, according to KUTV.
Mark Andrew Johnson, 46, died in a fatal plane crash on Friday morning
Michael Hyrum Cox (far right), 43, pictured with his family before he died in a plane crash
The Cirrus SR22 went down around 10am (Stock image)
But Cox and Johnson’s bodies were not found until about 8:30 pm, Sergeant Spencer Cannon of the Utah County Sheriff’s Department told DailyMail.com.
Cannon told KSLTV: ‘In this case, anybody who saw the crash would think there is no way anybody could have survived that it was a significant crash that caused substantial damage to the plane.’
It was difficult to uncover their bodies because the lake is about nine-feet deep and they were trapped at the bottom.
Airport officials told the KUTV that Cox pulled a ‘go around’ right before they were supposed to land. The reason why he did this is unclear.
A ‘go around’ happens when there is reason to believe a plane cannot land at that time. Pilots can make this choice on their own or they may be instructed.
But the move can be risky, as the plane’s speed may be too slowed down, causing it to stall.
Investigators searched at Utah Lake State Park to retrieve their trapped bodies
The Utah County Sheriff’s Department, the Provo Fire and Police Departments and the Utah Highway Patrol Dive Team led discovery efforts
Investigation and discovery efforts were conducted by the Utah County Sheriff’s Department, the Provo Fire and Police Departments and the Utah Highway Patrol Dive Team.
The crash was called in by witnesses near the scene and Utah Lake State Park was closed while the search was ongoing.
Cannon told DailyMail.com on Saturday that the plane’s engine had been embedded about three feet into the ground underneath the lake and the department is still working to retrieve it.
