Mon, Aug 10, 2009
Five Airmen Lost Their Lives In The Incident
A WWII era U.S. PBY Catalina which foundered and sank during a
takeoff attempt in 1942 has been discovered by divers off the coast
of Quebec. Five of the nine crewmen on board at the time of the
incident lost their lives.
File Photo
The aircraft was attempting to take off in choppy seas when the
fuselage started to fill with water. Local fishermen were able to
rescue 4 of the crew members, but the remaining airmen were unable
to get out before the aircraft sank.
According to CanWest News Service, the PBY was part of a
squadron which linked North America to Europe during the war.
Underwater Archaeologists from Parks Canada found the wreckage in
the course of a three-year survey of shipwrecks near the Mingan
peninsula lighthouse in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Environment
Minister Jim Prentice, who oversees Parks Canada, said it is "of
utmost importance for the site to remain undisturbed." "(T)he plane
will be protected with the full extent of applicable laws," he
said.
File Photo
In a joint statement, Canadian ministers said the site will be
managed "with the respect and dignity owed to lost American
soldiers" and that the two countries "will explore the possibility
of eventually recovering the remains of the missing crew members"
from the submerged plane. "The United States government was
extremely interested to learn of the discovery of the wreckage, and
we look forward to working with our Canadian friends to verify the
identity of the aircraft," U.S. consul general David Fetter said in
the statement.
No plans for recovery of the aircraft were discussed.
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