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JFK Jr. Found Hours Before Search Ended
25 Oct
Summary
- JFK Jr.'s body was found just hours before the search might have concluded.
- Sophisticated sonar equipment detected his remains in the Atlantic Ocean.
- John F. Kennedy Jr. had not completed crucial instrument flight training.
The remains of John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, and her sister Lauren Bessette were discovered in the Atlantic Ocean after an extensive search. Officials were preparing to end the operation when advanced sonar equipment detected JFK Jr.'s body approximately 116 feet below the surface. His body was found around seven miles off Martha's Vineyard, near the wreckage containing his wife and her sister.
Coast Guard Commander W. Russell "Russ" Webster noted that had the search continued for another day, the strong currents might have swept John's body away, making recovery impossible. Divers successfully recovered all three bodies the following morning. The NTSB determined that John F. Kennedy Jr. was flying under visual flight rules and had not completed his instrument training, despite warnings from his flight instructors just days before the fatal July 16, 1999 crash.
The massive search effort, involving thousands of personnel and multiple agencies, cost an estimated $5 million. The recovery operation also involved salvaging the aircraft and belongings before they could be reached by scavengers. The detailed account of the search and recovery is documented in the book 'The Last Flight,' co-authored by maritime historian Theresa Mitchell Webster.
