Mark Sletten, 46, of Anchorage, and Paul Kondrat, 41, of Utah, died after their plane crashed in Crescent Lake near Moose Pass, Alaska State Troopers said Thursday.
According to an initial trooper dispatch on Tuesday, a pair of hikers witnessed and reported the crash around 2 p.m. on Tuesday. A State Department of Public Safety helicopter and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service float plane both responded and found debris in the lake, but did not find signs of survivors “in the water or on the shore.”
Sletten and Kondrat were identified by troopers after their plane, a Piper PA-18 Super Cub, was reported overdue.
Search efforts continued over the next couple of days, and an update at 10 p.m. on Thursday said that the Alaska Dive, Search, Rescue and Recovery Team was able to float the plane and tow it to shore, where troopers found the bodies of both men inside.
This story was updated Thursday evening after troopers said they had recovered the bodies of both men.
Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.
