A plane crashed into Lake Hartwell last Saturday on its way to the airport and quickly sank to the deepest part of the lake. According to WYFF4, the aircraft crashed near the Long Point Recreation Area around noon before reaching the Anderson Regional Airport. Divers have yet to retrieve the body of the unnamed pilot that still sits 120 feet below the surface.
The Hart County Sheriff's Office mentioned that witnesses near the lake could see the plane circle and spiral in the sky before it came down and slammed into the water.
“The witnesses on scene said they saw the plane circling," Hart County Sheriff's Office captain Chris Carroll shared with WYFF4. "The plane went up into the clouds and it came back down spiraling and it hit the water. It was probably 40 seconds before they got over to it and it had already gone under."
After the incident occurred, the sheriff's office dive team was contacted to assist in locating the plane and pilot at the bottom of the lake. WYFF4 mentioned that not only is very dark at the bottom of the lake, but the tree roots and debris covering the body make it more difficult to retrieve.
"The depth of the water's causing us issues, and as far as our resources, we've exhausted everything we have to be able to lift the place and get the person out," Carroll detailed. Officials plan to use a crane to dig up the plane and find the pilot when they receive permission from the National Transportation Safety Board.