Search for those swept away by Ontario floodwaters during storm comes up empty: officials
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — There was only one body found at the crash site of a plane which crashed into floodwaters of the Ohio River near Cincinnati last week and authorities are searching for four others who were swept away as the huge river broke its banks.
“It was a tragic, tragic accident for all of our first responders,” said Cincinnati Fire Department Chief Tom McConkey. “We are all very thankful there were no other fatalities.”
A search operation has been called off for the other four dead or missing, according to an official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the investigation. Two of those four are passengers and the other two were crew members.
No survivors were found after the plane, a two-seat Cessna Citation Mustang, crashed into the water at 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, crashing into two power poles and then into the river, police in South Bend, Indiana, and Cincinnati said. The plane was headed to a training exercise in Cincinnati.
The plane had only one passenger: pilot Steve Foss of Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley, in a statement to the media, said in large part, the search and rescue effort was a “tragic situation for all those involved.”
“They made all efforts possible with no signs of hope being exchanged,” Cranley said. “It is with hearts shattered they will now focus all that we have and all that they have, all that they can and all that they will on the recovery of the deceased and the search for the missing.”
As of Thursday evening, the search for the four other victims remained on hold, according to a statement from the Marion County sheriff’s office. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office said the incident was not classified as a homicide.
“We are not taking any type of official position on this investigation and will have no further comments to make at this time,” said Marion County Sheriff Joe Tackett.
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence said he was “still recovering from this tragic news,” adding,