After several days of searching, Ontario Provincial Police have confirmed the discovery of a deceased pilot whose small aircraft was found submerged in Wolfe Lake within the Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park. The pilot, identified as David, 73, had been reported missing on Friday after departing from Oshawa Executive Airport in a homemade plane. Despite search efforts by various agencies including the Trenton Joint Rescue Coordination Centre and the OPP’s City of Kawartha Lakes detachment, the pilot was tragically found deceased. The Ministry of Natural Resources also assisted in locating the aircraft and pilot.
The pilot’s failure to return to the airport as scheduled prompted family members to report him missing to Durham Regional Police. The investigation into the circumstances of the crash is now being handled by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, with a team of investigators dispatched to the scene near Minden Hills. The TSB will be looking into the accident involving the privately registered small plane, highlighting that the pilot was a seasoned aviator known for flying in the region south of the Kawartha Lakes municipality and north of Lake Scugog.
The OPP expressed their condolences to the pilot’s family and appreciated the public’s support and information during the search operation. Plans are underway to recover the aircraft, as authorities continue their examination of the tragic incident.