Mark Johnson dies in fatal Utah Lake plane crash
- Mark Johnson dies in fatal Utah Lake plane crash
Fatal Utah Lake plane crash death of Mark Johnson – Obituary
Two men who died in the crash of a small plane into Utah Lake on Friday morning have been identified as residents of Washington County. The Utah County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the recovery of their bodies late Friday evening.
Michael Hyrum Cox, aged 43, from St. George, is believed to have been the pilot, while 46-year-old Mark Andrew Johnson, of Washington City, was the passenger. Their remains are being sent to the Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsy.
The crash occurred around 10:10 a.m. when deputies were dispatched following reports of the airplane going down about half a mile northwest of Provo Airport. Witnesses and surveillance footage confirmed the plane had descended rapidly before crashing into the lake. A nearby group arrived at the scene within minutes, but no survivors were found.
Search and rescue teams from the Utah County Sheriff’s Office, as well as various local agencies including Provo Police and Fire Departments, Saratoga Springs Fire Department, and Utah State Parks, worked together to recover the wreckage. Cross Marine Projects from American Fork assisted by using a recovery barge to lift the plane’s fuselage from the lake, allowing recovery teams to retrieve the bodies of the two victims.
Despite favorable weather, the search was complicated by the lake’s murky water and the partially submerged fuselage, which was buried in nine feet of water at that location. Although many pieces of the damaged aircraft were retrieved, full recovery was delayed due to the plane’s condition.
Mark Johnson dies in fatal Utah Lake plane crash Fatal Utah Lake plane crash death of Mark Johnson – Obituary Two men who died in the crash of a small plane into Utah Lake on Friday morning have been identified as residents of Washington County. The Utah County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the recovery of their…
Mark Johnson dies in fatal Utah Lake plane crash Fatal Utah Lake plane crash death of Mark Johnson – Obituary Two men who died in the crash of a small plane into Utah Lake on Friday morning have been identified as residents of Washington County. The Utah County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the recovery of their…