Two men dead after small plane crashed in Utah Lake
Sep 28, 2024, 8:15 AM | Updated: Sep 30, 2024, 10:10 am
Michael Hyrum Cox seen on the right and Mark Andrew Johnson on the left. The two men died after the plane they were in crashed in Utah Lake. (KSL TV)
(KSL TV)
PROVO, Utah — A small plane crashed into Utah Lake Friday morning, killing the two men inside.
Spencer Cannon with the Utah County Sheriff’s Office said the small, single-engine plane went down just after 10 a.m., approximately half a mile northwest of the Provo airport. Cannon said the aircraft had been cleared to land there.
The sheriff’s office said that Michael Hyrum Cox, 44, from St. George, and Mark Andrew Johnson, 46, from Washington, Utah, were missing for several hours but were found dead inside the plane wreckage.
“No way anybody could have survived”
The office believes Cox was the pilot and Johnson was the passenger. Both bodies are being taken to the state medical examiner.
“In this case, anybody who saw the crash would think there is no way anybody could have survived. … It was a significant crash that caused substantial damage to the plane,” Spencer said.
Officials were still uncertain why the aircraft went down. Other than the fact that the plane was cleared to land, any communication the pilot may have had with the airport tower before impact was unknown.
Witnesses saw plane crash into Utah Lake
The sheriff’s office said witnesses were in boats on the water at the time of the crash, and investigators contacted them afterward. However, the sheriff’s office was unclear on who made the emergency call, whether it was a witness in a boat or possibly airport staff.
Just before 11 a.m., Chief Jess Campbell with Saratoga Springs Fire and Rescue said the plane was sitting in about eight feet of water. At that time, crews were working in the wreckage.
Divers in the Utah Lake searching for remnants of the plane that crashed Sept. 27, 2024. (Chopper 5)
Sgt. Garrett Dutson with the Utah County Sheriff’s Office said rescue teams would attempt to pull the airplane up.
“With Utah Lake, you get all that mud and dirt, and you can’t see very far. Even in this daylight, if you went in the water, you can’t see your hand in front of you,” Dutson told KSL TV. “So that’s the issue they’re having. That’s why they brought the barge in to try and pull the airplane up.”
“The pilot or the occupants have been submerged for an extended amount of time. The likelihood of anybody being viable is diminishing,” Campbell said.
Officials closed Utah Lake State Park during the investigation. “Quite a few investigators” with the sheriff’s office were involved, officials said. They included Utah Highway Patrol, Saratoga Springs fire, a dive team, and Provo Search and Rescue.
The sheriff’s office said the main reason for the closure is mostly safety concerns.
“Debris will especially start floating, and I know they’re trying to secure that. There could be a fuel leak too. That’s something they have to look at before rescuing individuals on board,” said Sgt. Garrett Dutson with the Utah County Sheriff’s Office.
