1 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:09,280 Speaker 1: You're recording. We're on a boat. We're on the We're 2 00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:11,600 Speaker 1: on a fifty ft boat in Prince William Sound, the 3 00:00:11,680 --> 00:00:15,200 Speaker 1: Arctic Skimmer, and we are right next to Hinge and 4 00:00:15,240 --> 00:00:18,640 Speaker 1: Brook Island. The cliffs are rising above. It's a beautiful 5 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:22,320 Speaker 1: sunny day and we're just about to turn into Poortn Edges. 6 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:24,640 Speaker 1: So the first time I've ever been on the sound 7 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:29,639 Speaker 1: and were an edges is where the tentster told me 8 00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:34,840 Speaker 1: he pulled the cess tail of around. So it's it's 9 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:38,040 Speaker 1: really stunning right now. You can see, you know, distant 10 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:42,839 Speaker 1: mountains with snow. It's completely sunny, very few clouds, and 11 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:45,880 Speaker 1: they're just these like dramatic cliffs rising up from the water. 12 00:00:57,320 --> 00:00:59,880 Speaker 1: From my heart, media, this is Missing in Alaska, the 13 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:03,440 Speaker 1: story of two congressmen who vanished in nineteen two and 14 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:05,960 Speaker 1: my quest to figure out what happened to them. I'm 15 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:17,520 Speaker 1: your host, John Wallzac. Our trip to Henchin Brook Island 16 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:21,880 Speaker 1: almost didn't happen. We just got lucky sun, blue sky, 17 00:01:22,319 --> 00:01:26,000 Speaker 1: clear water, but only for about forty eight hours. We 18 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:30,720 Speaker 1: had a narrow window between storms and we seized it. Unfortunately, 19 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:34,640 Speaker 1: our boat could only accommodate four people, two captains and 20 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:38,600 Speaker 1: two members of our team. So on October nineteen, I 21 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:43,000 Speaker 1: flew with Paul Decan, our supervising producer, from Anchorage to Cordova, 22 00:01:43,360 --> 00:01:46,800 Speaker 1: a small fishing town on Prince William Sound. I've been 23 00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:50,240 Speaker 1: to something like forty five out of fifty states, so 24 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:53,320 Speaker 1: I don't say this lightly. Cordova is one of the 25 00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 1: most beautiful towns in America. It's right on the water, 26 00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:01,320 Speaker 1: ringed by snow capped mountains, reachable only by air or sea. 27 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:05,760 Speaker 1: It's most valuable commodity, Copper River salmon can fetch more 28 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:10,040 Speaker 1: than seventy dollars per pound. Anyway, when we landed, all 29 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:12,639 Speaker 1: I had was the name of our captain, Andy and 30 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:15,520 Speaker 1: his phone number. We had been so busy that the 31 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:19,440 Speaker 1: details of the search the logistics fell to Sam T. Garden, 32 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:23,640 Speaker 1: our research assistant in Atlanta. In the tiny terminal in Cordova, 33 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:27,200 Speaker 1: I called Andy across the room. A skinny man with 34 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:31,160 Speaker 1: a gray beard answered. We walked over, said high, then 35 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:34,160 Speaker 1: went outside and hopped in his truck. Andy and his 36 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:37,720 Speaker 1: wife see One run a company called Alaska Marine Response. 37 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:41,960 Speaker 1: They specialized in salvaging wreck ships and cleaning up oil spills. 38 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:45,760 Speaker 1: Andy went to Cornell, where he studied natural resources with 39 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:49,440 Speaker 1: the concentration and fisheries. He moved to Alaska about thirty 40 00:02:49,480 --> 00:02:51,880 Speaker 1: years ago. On the way to the Marino where he 41 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 1: docks his boats, and he asked for more details on 42 00:02:54,760 --> 00:02:57,119 Speaker 1: why we wanted to go to Henshin Brook. He knew 43 00:02:57,160 --> 00:02:59,720 Speaker 1: the basics that we were looking for a missing plane, 44 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:03,360 Speaker 1: but at my request, Sam hadn't told him much. We 45 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:06,079 Speaker 1: wanted to keep everything tight lipped. But and he is 46 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:08,840 Speaker 1: a pretty smart guy, and he figured out quickly which 47 00:03:08,919 --> 00:03:12,880 Speaker 1: plane the baggage Bog's plane around nineteen eighty. I said, 48 00:03:12,919 --> 00:03:15,880 Speaker 1: as we sped into town, a man named Bob Martinson. 49 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:24,200 Speaker 1: Andy stopped me. Bob, I know Bob Amazingly coincidentally, Yes, Andy, 50 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:27,280 Speaker 1: our captain knows Bob, the tipster who found the cess 51 00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 1: in the tail. And like everyone else with whom I spoke, 52 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:33,320 Speaker 1: he said, Bob's a good guy, a fisherman who spent 53 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:36,960 Speaker 1: decades in Cordova on and off, a photographer whose images 54 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:39,720 Speaker 1: hanging in a local restaurant. When we got to the 55 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:42,720 Speaker 1: marina and he took us to our boat, the Arctic Skimmer, 56 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:45,840 Speaker 1: I went downstairs for a minute, then above me the 57 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:48,400 Speaker 1: radio crackled with what sounded like a may day call. 58 00:03:48,920 --> 00:03:51,920 Speaker 1: I ran back up, looked out a window and saw Paul, 59 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:55,360 Speaker 1: our producer, sprinting down the doctor Andy's truck to grab 60 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 1: our recording equipment. It seemed that our trip would start 61 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:02,560 Speaker 1: with a rescue saw one needed help. A few minutes later, 62 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:06,320 Speaker 1: though Clarity, a boat was disabled and needed a toe, 63 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 1: but nothing dramatic. Andy spoke with the coastguard, then dropped 64 00:04:10,640 --> 00:04:12,520 Speaker 1: us off at his house, where we had the second 65 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:16,400 Speaker 1: floor overlooking the water to ourselves. The plan was to 66 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:19,200 Speaker 1: head out the next day, so Paul and I, with 67 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:23,279 Speaker 1: time to kill, went exploring down a hill onto a 68 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:27,360 Speaker 1: breaker jutting into the water. As the sun set, everything 69 00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:30,520 Speaker 1: was still and silent but for the sound of sea 70 00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:40,520 Speaker 1: otters splashing about and a few birds. We had dinner 71 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:44,320 Speaker 1: at the Reluctant Fisherman, where Bob Martinson's photos hang, some 72 00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:47,640 Speaker 1: fitful sleep, Then the next morning we got up early, 73 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:51,360 Speaker 1: boarded our boat and met our other captain, Mark, who 74 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:54,039 Speaker 1: went to grad school at the University of Washington, where 75 00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:57,400 Speaker 1: he studied Russian and Eastern languages before moving to Alaska. 76 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:01,200 Speaker 1: As we prepared to leave Arkin, Andy told us that 77 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:04,000 Speaker 1: the town was a buzz a thirty three year old 78 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:07,520 Speaker 1: hunter named Neil Durgo had vanished in the mountains right 79 00:05:07,560 --> 00:05:10,880 Speaker 1: before we arrived. We're kind of surmising that he's hurt 80 00:05:11,040 --> 00:05:14,320 Speaker 1: because he would have easionly meet it back on his own. 81 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:19,320 Speaker 1: So if he's heard up high, then he's been dealing 82 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:24,240 Speaker 1: with snow and super cold nights. He had, you know, 83 00:05:25,200 --> 00:05:28,640 Speaker 1: he had a space bag in a tent, maybe some 84 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:33,720 Speaker 1: extra clothing or something. The search party is it being 85 00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:37,160 Speaker 1: out of Cordova. We talked about Bob Martinson and assess 86 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:39,559 Speaker 1: in the tail he found. I know that the odds 87 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:42,200 Speaker 1: are like one in twenty million that we're gonna find 88 00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:45,520 Speaker 1: this thing. But um, but Bob seems like a good 89 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:50,679 Speaker 1: guy and it's Bob Martin said, that's what he's talking about, 90 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:53,720 Speaker 1: the guy he's talking to. The Bobby's yeah, Mark knows it. 91 00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:58,800 Speaker 1: I mean, you guys, we all know each other. Big dog, 92 00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:03,159 Speaker 1: blond guy. I think he's a great grandfather or something 93 00:06:03,200 --> 00:06:07,760 Speaker 1: already better. Oh yeah, so so that's I mean, that's 94 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:09,920 Speaker 1: why I took what he said seriously, because he seemed 95 00:06:09,960 --> 00:06:12,040 Speaker 1: you know, I've talked other people too, and study he's 96 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:14,560 Speaker 1: a reliable guy, because you know, doing something like this 97 00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:16,240 Speaker 1: get a lot of crazy people that come out of 98 00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:19,400 Speaker 1: the woodwork. But UM, I thought this was interesting because 99 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:24,000 Speaker 1: he was he's reliable. Where he found it matches up 100 00:06:24,080 --> 00:06:27,320 Speaker 1: with the roughly with the flight route of the missing plane. 101 00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:31,960 Speaker 1: UM and the pilot Don Johns, didn't make radio contact 102 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:35,520 Speaker 1: at Johnstone Point and he was supposed to UM and 103 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:38,200 Speaker 1: he did right before he entered Portage Pass. So most 104 00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:40,120 Speaker 1: people that I've talked to think that the plane went 105 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:46,400 Speaker 1: down into sound somewhere between um Cortobage and Pension Brooke. UM. 106 00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:48,039 Speaker 1: And then you know, we were talking to Andy, and 107 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:50,000 Speaker 1: I talked to another guy in Anchorage the other day. 108 00:06:50,200 --> 00:06:53,040 Speaker 1: There's this little strip of land UM near is a 109 00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:58,040 Speaker 1: New Check Andy? Yeah. That the airstrip, the spot you 110 00:06:58,120 --> 00:06:59,960 Speaker 1: land a plane if you're going to New Check. Yeah. 111 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:02,040 Speaker 1: And that little stripple land Can you tell me about that? 112 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:06,040 Speaker 1: It's just that it's it's just just a little strip 113 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:10,440 Speaker 1: of gravel that connects you know, a more substantial what 114 00:07:10,560 --> 00:07:14,520 Speaker 1: would be an island if that was gone, UM where 115 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 1: the town of New Check wasn't. That stripple land is 116 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:23,480 Speaker 1: um flat level, it's humped, but a nice uh smooth 117 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:26,120 Speaker 1: surface for a plane to land up. Andy pulled out 118 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:28,440 Speaker 1: a map and pinpointed the spot where Bob found the 119 00:07:28,440 --> 00:07:32,160 Speaker 1: tail in poor dutches. Around the corner, there's a long, 120 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:35,320 Speaker 1: narrow strip of land used by bush pilots then and 121 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:39,000 Speaker 1: now as a rough airstrip. Typically you would only want 122 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:41,960 Speaker 1: to land single engine small planes on it. But in 123 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:45,960 Speaker 1: an emergency, it's possible that Don John's the pilot, could 124 00:07:45,960 --> 00:07:48,480 Speaker 1: have tried to land here near what used to be 125 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:51,360 Speaker 1: the native village of New Check. Or he could have 126 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:54,600 Speaker 1: attempted a rough water landing adjacent to this strip and 127 00:07:54,680 --> 00:07:58,760 Speaker 1: tried to swim to shore. Remember Don made several attempts 128 00:07:58,840 --> 00:08:02,480 Speaker 1: to swim twenty three miles across the English Channel. He 129 00:08:02,560 --> 00:08:05,400 Speaker 1: was fit and he was used to swimming in choppy water. 130 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:08,800 Speaker 1: And then I was I've talked to some pilots and 131 00:08:08,880 --> 00:08:10,960 Speaker 1: who looked at the weather that day, and they said 132 00:08:11,040 --> 00:08:13,240 Speaker 1: that the I think the wind was coming out of 133 00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:16,440 Speaker 1: the southeast, and so he would have wanted if he 134 00:08:16,520 --> 00:08:18,440 Speaker 1: was trying to do some kind of crash landing, he 135 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:20,920 Speaker 1: would have wanted to fly into the wind um. And 136 00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:23,640 Speaker 1: the way that this little striple land is oriented is 137 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:29,240 Speaker 1: is facing southeast. If you were coming from Cortage Witterer. Um. So, yeah, 138 00:08:29,240 --> 00:08:31,440 Speaker 1: So talking to Bob, like I said, it's been forty 139 00:08:31,560 --> 00:08:34,720 Speaker 1: almost forty years he found this. Um, he was studied 140 00:08:34,800 --> 00:08:38,680 Speaker 1: with his dad and uh, another man and or they're 141 00:08:38,679 --> 00:08:45,040 Speaker 1: both dead. Um, but he's he said, I went back 142 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:48,120 Speaker 1: and reread this this morning. He said that the troopers 143 00:08:48,280 --> 00:08:50,679 Speaker 1: in Cordova expressed the interest that it was related to 144 00:08:50,760 --> 00:08:56,280 Speaker 1: the baggage plane. And you know, it's been forty years. 145 00:08:56,320 --> 00:08:58,600 Speaker 1: But one of the things that we've talked about is 146 00:09:00,679 --> 00:09:03,040 Speaker 1: whether or not he brought the tail piece in And 147 00:09:03,080 --> 00:09:05,720 Speaker 1: he doesn't really remember. He knows he gave the numbers whatever, 148 00:09:05,720 --> 00:09:09,800 Speaker 1: he might have written them down. Um. And when people 149 00:09:09,840 --> 00:09:12,040 Speaker 1: are out fishing, what are the boats that come bring 150 00:09:12,040 --> 00:09:15,360 Speaker 1: them supplies called it tenders? Tenders. Yeah, he told me 151 00:09:15,800 --> 00:09:17,560 Speaker 1: they might have sent it back on a tender or 152 00:09:17,679 --> 00:09:22,600 Speaker 1: that he doesn't really remember. Um. But he told me 153 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:25,199 Speaker 1: that there were at least four characters and there were 154 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:28,520 Speaker 1: six on the missing plane. And so the question is 155 00:09:28,720 --> 00:09:31,280 Speaker 1: if there were four characters out of six on it, 156 00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:36,960 Speaker 1: like you know, like you said, be a match too 157 00:09:37,320 --> 00:09:42,839 Speaker 1: to like. So, I think this is the best lead 158 00:09:43,040 --> 00:09:46,760 Speaker 1: as to the plane's location that I've ever heard, and 159 00:09:47,040 --> 00:09:50,319 Speaker 1: it's probably the best lead in fifty years. We also 160 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:53,680 Speaker 1: discussed how Bob found the tail in the lead of 161 00:09:53,760 --> 00:09:57,199 Speaker 1: his net. Sam and it liked to run along the beach. 162 00:09:57,960 --> 00:10:00,480 Speaker 1: They don't always, but they like doing it. So the 163 00:10:00,559 --> 00:10:04,880 Speaker 1: idea is to cut them off with the net the lead, 164 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:08,640 Speaker 1: you know, so that they'll go into the deeper part 165 00:10:08,679 --> 00:10:11,960 Speaker 1: of the net, and and then you try to keep 166 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:15,200 Speaker 1: them in there, and then you curse, and then you 167 00:10:16,040 --> 00:10:18,280 Speaker 1: recover your net and haul them at the very end. 168 00:10:19,559 --> 00:10:22,280 Speaker 1: But yeah, the lead is normally the it is the 169 00:10:22,280 --> 00:10:24,680 Speaker 1: shallow end of the net. What what would that indicate? 170 00:10:24,720 --> 00:10:27,360 Speaker 1: Maybe that it was just the net was being Well, 171 00:10:27,520 --> 00:10:30,440 Speaker 1: that's kind of a grabby thing. I mean, it drags 172 00:10:30,480 --> 00:10:33,640 Speaker 1: up all kinds of stuff, you know, sometimes rocks, It 173 00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:38,840 Speaker 1: hangs up un rocks a lot. Help Uh, you know, 174 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:45,480 Speaker 1: it's kind of grabby easily. You know, you could grab 175 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:50,720 Speaker 1: it something down there that's point jagged whatever. I mean. Definitely, 176 00:10:50,760 --> 00:10:54,960 Speaker 1: a a tail end of a plane is quite possibly. 177 00:10:56,200 --> 00:11:02,080 Speaker 1: Don't I'm not surprised, you know. Yeah, what's interesting, I 178 00:11:02,080 --> 00:11:05,480 Speaker 1: think I said this earlier. What's interesting is he found something. 179 00:11:06,080 --> 00:11:08,959 Speaker 1: So it's it's like, even if it wasn't this particular plane, 180 00:11:08,960 --> 00:11:12,160 Speaker 1: I wonder which one it was. Well, this is a 181 00:11:12,240 --> 00:11:18,800 Speaker 1: kind of a uh pinpoints it kind of you know, 182 00:11:18,840 --> 00:11:24,240 Speaker 1: we know where he found it. It's a not a 183 00:11:24,280 --> 00:11:29,160 Speaker 1: big area. It's we know it's yes, and uh, it's 184 00:11:29,160 --> 00:11:31,600 Speaker 1: indicating it's on the shallow you know, near the beach, 185 00:11:31,720 --> 00:11:38,000 Speaker 1: the shallower area. So that's a kind of narrows it 186 00:11:38,040 --> 00:11:44,040 Speaker 1: down quite a bit. I mean. And when I ask you, guys, 187 00:11:44,600 --> 00:11:47,280 Speaker 1: so we obviously I know this is not the ideal 188 00:11:47,320 --> 00:11:48,920 Speaker 1: time to do this, so we're very lucky we have 189 00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:52,280 Speaker 1: beautiful weather today. Um, I imagine the ideal time would 190 00:11:52,320 --> 00:11:58,079 Speaker 1: be spring and summer. Sometimes a better summers in general 191 00:11:58,280 --> 00:12:03,520 Speaker 1: is better weather, but there's no guarantee ever, Um, you're 192 00:12:03,520 --> 00:12:09,559 Speaker 1: feeling June you have the longest days, so you can 193 00:12:09,640 --> 00:12:13,959 Speaker 1: make better use of weather windows and generally nicer weather. 194 00:12:14,120 --> 00:12:16,360 Speaker 1: I mean, so if you were to pick one spot 195 00:12:16,440 --> 00:12:19,680 Speaker 1: in the year, one month of the year, that would 196 00:12:19,720 --> 00:12:22,439 Speaker 1: be ideal for doing stuff on the water. June is 197 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:24,760 Speaker 1: about as good as it gets, but it doesn't mean 198 00:12:24,760 --> 00:12:33,080 Speaker 1: it can't blow data any given week. You know, this 199 00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:35,880 Speaker 1: is a nice window. Actually, do you see the way 200 00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:39,960 Speaker 1: this wind is coming. Once we go around that island 201 00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:43,480 Speaker 1: will be in the league so we'll we'll be pretty 202 00:12:43,480 --> 00:12:46,480 Speaker 1: sheltered in there, and then this helps knock down the 203 00:12:46,480 --> 00:12:49,760 Speaker 1: swell that's out because otherwise you get wrap around swell 204 00:12:49,880 --> 00:12:52,560 Speaker 1: in there, and that makes it tough getting stuff on 205 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:55,079 Speaker 1: and off the boat. If we're you know, doing that 206 00:12:55,400 --> 00:13:00,400 Speaker 1: getting okay, how shallow can this boat get it? I mean, 207 00:13:01,360 --> 00:13:04,360 Speaker 1: what is what would be like the minimum depth touch? 208 00:13:06,360 --> 00:13:09,920 Speaker 1: We can touch? Really, it's an ice class all. It's 209 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:12,800 Speaker 1: built really thick. So it's made to beach so we 210 00:13:12,800 --> 00:13:16,920 Speaker 1: can drive up, you know, a nice beach rock. You know, 211 00:13:17,040 --> 00:13:20,640 Speaker 1: it's a nice, nice slope beach. We can drive up 212 00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:26,839 Speaker 1: to it. So if you found the tail of assessma here, 213 00:13:28,120 --> 00:13:31,200 Speaker 1: if if it didn't originate, if the plane hadn't crashed 214 00:13:31,320 --> 00:13:33,839 Speaker 1: right in this area, do you have any idea where 215 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:41,360 Speaker 1: it would have been brought in from? Oh? If if 216 00:13:41,520 --> 00:13:45,400 Speaker 1: that would be that would be tough. You know. The 217 00:13:45,480 --> 00:13:49,360 Speaker 1: thing is that if I think of a tail of 218 00:13:49,400 --> 00:13:54,160 Speaker 1: a if a plane brex, Let's say there's some possibility 219 00:13:54,200 --> 00:13:56,240 Speaker 1: there there there could have been a bomb planet on 220 00:13:56,280 --> 00:13:59,160 Speaker 1: the plane right where that it could have broke the 221 00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:03,440 Speaker 1: plane of um. Most of the time when you load 222 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:05,640 Speaker 1: a plane, you load all the light things in the 223 00:14:05,679 --> 00:14:12,520 Speaker 1: stern in the tail and including dry bags with your 224 00:14:12,559 --> 00:14:16,600 Speaker 1: survival gear and stuff like that. So if the tail 225 00:14:16,679 --> 00:14:21,280 Speaker 1: could have been ouyant for a long time and floated, 226 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:23,760 Speaker 1: so the plane could have crashed somewhere else and currents 227 00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:26,760 Speaker 1: could have brought it in there. Or but a southeast 228 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:29,680 Speaker 1: wind like a wouldn't have that would have taken it 229 00:14:30,040 --> 00:14:33,240 Speaker 1: elsewhere usually but um, but it might have gone out 230 00:14:33,280 --> 00:14:37,640 Speaker 1: and then the weather changed and then point in. Um. 231 00:14:37,680 --> 00:14:43,160 Speaker 1: But it's that's not a classic collection spot, like the 232 00:14:43,200 --> 00:14:47,360 Speaker 1: currents don't. Like most of the stuff that happens out 233 00:14:47,360 --> 00:14:51,080 Speaker 1: of the Gulf ends up on like Naked Island or 234 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:53,960 Speaker 1: over here, like they don't. It doesn't go in there. 235 00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:58,280 Speaker 1: That's not um. It's like what it seemed to indicate 236 00:14:58,360 --> 00:15:00,600 Speaker 1: to you then that whatever plane this was probably went 237 00:15:00,640 --> 00:15:04,200 Speaker 1: down in that area, that it's a good bed, that 238 00:15:04,280 --> 00:15:07,960 Speaker 1: it's the engines and the rest of it are too 239 00:15:07,960 --> 00:15:13,880 Speaker 1: far away. But I could have drifted, you know. If 240 00:15:13,880 --> 00:15:15,480 Speaker 1: there was a part of a plane that could drift, 241 00:15:15,480 --> 00:15:20,120 Speaker 1: it would be the tail. A few hours later, we're 242 00:15:20,120 --> 00:15:22,200 Speaker 1: on a boat. We're on the We're on a fifty 243 00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:25,760 Speaker 1: ft boat and Prince William Sound the Arctic Skimmer and 244 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:29,160 Speaker 1: We are right next to Hinchinbrook Island. The cliffs are 245 00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:33,080 Speaker 1: rising above. It's a beautiful sunny day and we're just 246 00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:37,840 Speaker 1: about to turn into fourt edges and then there we 247 00:15:37,840 --> 00:15:42,960 Speaker 1: were the exact spot, so that rock formation just right 248 00:15:43,040 --> 00:15:46,480 Speaker 1: off there. The around nineteen man and two other men 249 00:15:46,680 --> 00:15:52,720 Speaker 1: found assessment tail, so somewhere out here they were saneing fishing. 250 00:15:53,960 --> 00:15:57,720 Speaker 1: As we idled, we took stock of our equipment. Unfortunately, 251 00:15:57,880 --> 00:16:01,040 Speaker 1: we did not have two very important tools side scan 252 00:16:01,160 --> 00:16:04,080 Speaker 1: sonar and a magnetometer, which would have helped a lot. 253 00:16:04,640 --> 00:16:07,320 Speaker 1: We couldn't get them in time. But we did have 254 00:16:07,440 --> 00:16:11,240 Speaker 1: two r o v s, or remotely operated vehicles, small 255 00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:15,520 Speaker 1: tethered submersibles with cameras. If you've seen Titanic, you know 256 00:16:15,560 --> 00:16:17,880 Speaker 1: what they look like. They're used at the beginning of 257 00:16:17,880 --> 00:16:21,760 Speaker 1: the movie to explore wreckage. One of ours belonged to Andy, 258 00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:25,040 Speaker 1: the other to the Prince William Sound Science Center, which 259 00:16:25,120 --> 00:16:28,800 Speaker 1: kindly lent it to us. Tell us about this r 260 00:16:28,840 --> 00:16:37,640 Speaker 1: OV in particular, like what its capabilities or how de trekker. Um, 261 00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:41,880 Speaker 1: it's a it's a high resolution camera. It's the highest 262 00:16:42,720 --> 00:16:48,240 Speaker 1: resolution camera we have. Um, we're rigging it right now. 263 00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:51,360 Speaker 1: Kind of like a controlled drop camera, so we can 264 00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:55,080 Speaker 1: thrust and tip, but we're going to drag it with 265 00:16:55,160 --> 00:16:58,280 Speaker 1: the boat just so we can cover more area than 266 00:16:58,320 --> 00:17:01,440 Speaker 1: we could if we were stopped swimming around with it. 267 00:17:01,680 --> 00:17:04,679 Speaker 1: We also had diving equipment and a crane just in 268 00:17:04,760 --> 00:17:15,040 Speaker 1: case we found something interesting, Say the plane the r 269 00:17:15,080 --> 00:17:19,680 Speaker 1: o V. So it's in the water. It's in the water. 270 00:17:22,359 --> 00:17:28,920 Speaker 1: Um are we searching that way? Starts pointing the reel. 271 00:17:33,760 --> 00:17:35,840 Speaker 1: But I didn't make a difference. I can to sure. 272 00:17:39,240 --> 00:17:41,280 Speaker 1: Let's let's just let's have it go over at this 273 00:17:41,359 --> 00:18:01,320 Speaker 1: side of the poem means the ploy said this one 274 00:18:03,320 --> 00:18:09,359 Speaker 1: something like that at forty dollars. So this at that 275 00:18:09,480 --> 00:18:13,480 Speaker 1: point right there, that's probably what we're looking at. And 276 00:18:14,440 --> 00:18:18,000 Speaker 1: so around there this is that this rounded part and 277 00:18:18,080 --> 00:18:24,280 Speaker 1: then that jagged rock area that is that's probably this 278 00:18:24,760 --> 00:18:27,760 Speaker 1: And that's where he said he found the piece to 279 00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:31,440 Speaker 1: be right over there around those rocks. Yeah, yep, right there, 280 00:18:31,840 --> 00:18:35,840 Speaker 1: right where the r o V is now. On a screen, 281 00:18:36,080 --> 00:18:38,840 Speaker 1: we watched as the r o V descended. We just 282 00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:42,800 Speaker 1: had a jellyfish some one by the camera. Seymore jellyfish 283 00:18:42,880 --> 00:18:47,399 Speaker 1: over the years, don't they proliferate when there's always been 284 00:18:47,400 --> 00:18:50,720 Speaker 1: a lot of gels, but maybe a few more. A 285 00:18:50,800 --> 00:18:54,520 Speaker 1: few years ago we had a really bad jellyfish season 286 00:18:54,600 --> 00:19:00,320 Speaker 1: affected sang a couple of boats. They were so so 287 00:19:00,560 --> 00:19:05,680 Speaker 1: thick about a couple of boats. They the sayners would 288 00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:09,159 Speaker 1: catch so many jellies that they'd roll over like they couldn't. 289 00:19:09,480 --> 00:19:14,440 Speaker 1: Their nets would pack up. They're trying to catch fish, 290 00:19:14,840 --> 00:19:19,560 Speaker 1: and the gels block the the opening of the web, 291 00:19:19,640 --> 00:19:22,639 Speaker 1: and then we just roll them right over, so the 292 00:19:22,760 --> 00:19:26,880 Speaker 1: jelly can literally take a boat down. Are you good 293 00:19:26,960 --> 00:19:30,560 Speaker 1: enough of them? So you can go down a little more? Mark, 294 00:19:31,359 --> 00:19:40,360 Speaker 1: I can't yet see the bottom. Okay, I can see 295 00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:45,760 Speaker 1: the bottom. Stop. Yeah, so let's we're seeing the bottom, 296 00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:51,600 Speaker 1: which is a means visibility pretty good. Hasn't hasn't rained 297 00:19:51,680 --> 00:19:58,679 Speaker 1: in a few days, which would money everything? Oh yeahs 298 00:19:58,680 --> 00:20:01,639 Speaker 1: I don't think there's any well as all as cricks, 299 00:20:01,680 --> 00:20:08,760 Speaker 1: but I don't think there's anything really big so unusual 300 00:20:08,960 --> 00:20:10,960 Speaker 1: this time of the year to be able to see 301 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:14,399 Speaker 1: to the bottom, you know, the actually winner that is 302 00:20:14,480 --> 00:20:20,080 Speaker 1: a higher better visibility because plankton is can be your 303 00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:23,720 Speaker 1: biggest problem, and of course the cooler it is less 304 00:20:23,760 --> 00:20:29,479 Speaker 1: likely they're blooming in the summer. But plankton is can 305 00:20:29,560 --> 00:20:33,399 Speaker 1: really makes things soupy, you know. As Mark steered the 306 00:20:33,560 --> 00:20:36,560 Speaker 1: r o V aiming its camera side to side, we 307 00:20:36,720 --> 00:20:41,560 Speaker 1: stared at the green tinted screen, water, rocks, plants, fish. 308 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:45,080 Speaker 1: To minimize glare, we covered the screen with a black 309 00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:49,600 Speaker 1: sheet and crawled underneath. Much better. We were just doing 310 00:20:49,680 --> 00:20:53,119 Speaker 1: it tests above water. See this is uh there? Now 311 00:20:53,359 --> 00:21:00,800 Speaker 1: I'll come back and show you this. You want to 312 00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:03,159 Speaker 1: that's a sea outer hole. They come down dig and 313 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:08,400 Speaker 1: get clams and muscles and stuff. What do you need? Well, 314 00:21:08,520 --> 00:21:13,119 Speaker 1: I'm just kind of curious. Should I come back? Um, 315 00:21:14,160 --> 00:21:16,960 Speaker 1: maybe just turn off the down thruster and let's just 316 00:21:17,040 --> 00:21:22,200 Speaker 1: see where it is. Are you using the propulsion or 317 00:21:22,280 --> 00:21:24,880 Speaker 1: is the boat pulling it? The boats pulling it? I'm 318 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:28,399 Speaker 1: using its propulsion to aim it. Is it pretty simple 319 00:21:28,440 --> 00:21:33,320 Speaker 1: to use or is it kind of trucky? Oh? It's 320 00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:36,040 Speaker 1: it's it's kind of like a video game. You kind 321 00:21:36,040 --> 00:21:40,520 Speaker 1: of get you know, once you figure out which fingers 322 00:21:40,560 --> 00:21:42,960 Speaker 1: doing what, you know, you get better at over time. 323 00:21:43,040 --> 00:21:49,159 Speaker 1: But since my excuse why fourteen year old can use 324 00:21:49,200 --> 00:21:52,520 Speaker 1: it better than I could? Is it something that we 325 00:21:52,680 --> 00:21:56,200 Speaker 1: could use for a minute or is it? Yea, I 326 00:21:56,320 --> 00:21:59,280 Speaker 1: took control of the r o V. It is zippy. 327 00:22:00,320 --> 00:22:04,520 Speaker 1: It's really surprising. You kind of sucking in to be slower, 328 00:22:06,200 --> 00:22:08,600 Speaker 1: so you use the propulsion and obviously to aim it. 329 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:11,000 Speaker 1: But does does it kind of stabilize on its own 330 00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:16,159 Speaker 1: if you just let go? Should be seen in the 331 00:22:16,240 --> 00:22:24,400 Speaker 1: bottom conservac You said, where the claw? Where the claw here? Okay? Yes, 332 00:22:24,840 --> 00:22:28,359 Speaker 1: this r o V also had a remote controlled claw. 333 00:22:29,200 --> 00:22:31,639 Speaker 1: How would I telt to see the claw? More so 334 00:22:32,520 --> 00:22:38,200 Speaker 1: this great same thing on the other side. I'm cool, 335 00:22:42,440 --> 00:22:53,240 Speaker 1: you're looking down. H It's not super the clause and 336 00:22:53,320 --> 00:22:55,600 Speaker 1: super quick, but it's quick enough. I don't know, it's 337 00:22:55,600 --> 00:23:04,159 Speaker 1: not quick enough, not for fish so much. Let me 338 00:23:04,280 --> 00:23:07,040 Speaker 1: stop for a minute and meditate on how bizarre all 339 00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:10,760 Speaker 1: of this was, how surreal. Here I was off an 340 00:23:10,840 --> 00:23:14,200 Speaker 1: island in Alaska, navigating an r o V as we 341 00:23:14,320 --> 00:23:18,240 Speaker 1: searched underwater for a missing plane that carried to U. S. Congressmen. 342 00:23:18,800 --> 00:23:21,240 Speaker 1: To be honest, I didn't quite think the answer to 343 00:23:21,720 --> 00:23:23,560 Speaker 1: can we charter a boat and go search for the 344 00:23:23,640 --> 00:23:28,200 Speaker 1: plane would be yes, this is a podcast, But the 345 00:23:28,280 --> 00:23:34,480 Speaker 1: answer was yes, so yeah. Anyway, for hours we used 346 00:23:34,520 --> 00:23:36,960 Speaker 1: the r o V s to search for wreckage. A 347 00:23:37,080 --> 00:23:41,440 Speaker 1: lot of eel grass, but no plane. Later, a change 348 00:23:41,480 --> 00:24:21,600 Speaker 1: of plans, we hopped into a zodiac craft, a small 349 00:24:21,720 --> 00:24:25,760 Speaker 1: inflatable boat with a motor, and started zooming around, taking 350 00:24:25,800 --> 00:24:28,560 Speaker 1: advantage of the ultra clear water to conduct a visual 351 00:24:28,640 --> 00:24:33,560 Speaker 1: search looking to the floor below, because amazingly, yes, it 352 00:24:33,760 --> 00:24:36,400 Speaker 1: was clear enough to see to the bottom, at least 353 00:24:36,440 --> 00:24:41,119 Speaker 1: in shallow water. We also landed briefly on Hension Brook itself, 354 00:24:41,960 --> 00:24:44,160 Speaker 1: so I wonder where they're um on the map there 355 00:24:44,240 --> 00:24:46,760 Speaker 1: was some like inland water feature. I wonder where that is? 356 00:24:49,320 --> 00:24:54,520 Speaker 1: Is that an otter's So we're standing on the shore 357 00:24:54,600 --> 00:24:57,280 Speaker 1: of Henson Brook Island. We're kind of on the edge 358 00:24:57,320 --> 00:25:00,200 Speaker 1: of the trees, and the sun is going down and 359 00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:03,680 Speaker 1: we just rode up in a zodiac boat off the 360 00:25:03,720 --> 00:25:06,040 Speaker 1: bigger boat. And so now we're gonna wander into the 361 00:25:06,080 --> 00:25:08,960 Speaker 1: woods and hopefully not get eaten by bears or this 362 00:25:09,080 --> 00:25:10,840 Speaker 1: is gonna kind of be Blair witchy when you find 363 00:25:10,880 --> 00:25:15,560 Speaker 1: this this audio. We didn't have long on the island, 364 00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:20,399 Speaker 1: but we planned to return back in the zodiac, escape 365 00:25:20,400 --> 00:25:39,600 Speaker 1: from Pension Brook and back to the Arctic skimmer. Exhausted, 366 00:25:39,880 --> 00:25:43,600 Speaker 1: we anchored for the night as the sun sank in 367 00:25:43,680 --> 00:25:48,000 Speaker 1: the distance. We spotted something walking on the beach. How 368 00:25:48,160 --> 00:25:51,560 Speaker 1: how far are we from shore? A couple hundred yards, 369 00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:54,960 Speaker 1: you know, I don't maybe more from him, maybe undry 370 00:25:55,040 --> 00:26:00,159 Speaker 1: yards from him. Him was a large brown bay air. 371 00:26:00,920 --> 00:26:04,639 Speaker 1: Where do you go? Uh? Do you go behind a 372 00:26:05,920 --> 00:26:09,560 Speaker 1: kind of rock or something? Now, so we've all the 373 00:26:09,640 --> 00:26:11,840 Speaker 1: four of us have been tracking the bear with binoculars. 374 00:26:12,800 --> 00:26:15,520 Speaker 1: I don't think he went into the bushes. He's just behind. 375 00:26:15,720 --> 00:26:20,840 Speaker 1: So is this your first bear ever? Yeah? Well yeah, 376 00:26:21,040 --> 00:26:25,080 Speaker 1: sounding like in a zoovia zoos don't count. Yes, this 377 00:26:25,240 --> 00:26:27,680 Speaker 1: is this is my third. I saw one in North Carolina, 378 00:26:27,720 --> 00:26:31,639 Speaker 1: on one in Washington State and the North Cascades and 379 00:26:31,680 --> 00:26:35,320 Speaker 1: the street the third, but the first brown bear. It's 380 00:26:35,320 --> 00:26:39,639 Speaker 1: an unusually colored one. Yeah, I got something. I was 381 00:26:39,720 --> 00:26:43,040 Speaker 1: taking pictures through the binoculars. Yeah, so I was using 382 00:26:43,800 --> 00:26:47,600 Speaker 1: what was unusual about the color. It had a blonde 383 00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:52,560 Speaker 1: collar and then blonde ears and a lot darker brown coat. 384 00:26:52,680 --> 00:26:57,560 Speaker 1: Oh wow, here you go. Yeah that was true the binoculars. Yeah. Yeah, 385 00:26:57,640 --> 00:27:01,600 Speaker 1: so I was doing that kind up. Yeah. So, I 386 00:27:01,640 --> 00:27:06,119 Speaker 1: mean it's a much better closer picture. Wow, I've never 387 00:27:06,640 --> 00:27:09,720 Speaker 1: tried it. It's it's hard. You have to stay super stable. 388 00:27:09,800 --> 00:27:11,399 Speaker 1: So I have to find it with my eyes and 389 00:27:11,520 --> 00:27:14,800 Speaker 1: then hold my phone up, you know, in the perfect spot, 390 00:27:14,840 --> 00:27:17,000 Speaker 1: and then try to quickly get some pictures. But I 391 00:27:17,080 --> 00:27:20,480 Speaker 1: got video of it too. After a few minutes, the 392 00:27:20,560 --> 00:27:24,639 Speaker 1: bear cross between two rock formations and disappeared. So the 393 00:27:24,720 --> 00:27:28,040 Speaker 1: bears gone. Now for a minute, I want you to 394 00:27:28,119 --> 00:27:33,520 Speaker 1: close your eyes. You're on a boat, vast body of water. Twilight. 395 00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:42,800 Speaker 1: You see distant mountains backlit by a fading glow, cold wind. Calm. 396 00:27:44,640 --> 00:27:51,560 Speaker 1: You're a tiny dot in a dark wild We are 397 00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:55,040 Speaker 1: were anchored for the night in Poor Duchess, not far 398 00:27:55,200 --> 00:27:58,440 Speaker 1: from where we were looking for the Thesessina tail with 399 00:27:58,680 --> 00:28:01,880 Speaker 1: r o VS. And we're a few hundred feet off 400 00:28:01,920 --> 00:28:05,200 Speaker 1: the beach. We just saw a brown bear walking on 401 00:28:05,320 --> 00:28:07,439 Speaker 1: it for a while and we were all just tracking 402 00:28:07,480 --> 00:28:10,840 Speaker 1: it with binoculars. And Mark's making dinner right now, stir 403 00:28:10,960 --> 00:28:13,239 Speaker 1: fry downstairs, and we're all talking about the best way 404 00:28:13,280 --> 00:28:16,720 Speaker 1: to eat moose and uh oh, what do you see 405 00:28:16,760 --> 00:28:23,200 Speaker 1: something moving on the beach there? It's black? You sure 406 00:28:23,280 --> 00:28:26,879 Speaker 1: the binoculars? Wait, okay, I lost it? Now what's it 407 00:28:26,960 --> 00:28:29,480 Speaker 1: in the grass around the beach to us? So it's 408 00:28:29,520 --> 00:28:34,320 Speaker 1: like it's like it's I can't see it now putting 409 00:28:34,400 --> 00:28:42,880 Speaker 1: that little rocky that lighter rock color stuff. Anyway. Sorry, no, 410 00:28:43,160 --> 00:28:46,600 Speaker 1: it's all good. And uh so we're in this. We're 411 00:28:46,640 --> 00:28:50,040 Speaker 1: in Poor Duchess which is sheltered, and we're surrounded by 412 00:28:50,080 --> 00:28:54,400 Speaker 1: all these rocky hills and yeah, I mean today we 413 00:28:55,760 --> 00:28:58,840 Speaker 1: we went from Cordova on too Prince William Sound and 414 00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:03,600 Speaker 1: all the way to Engine Brooke and into Poor Duchess 415 00:29:04,720 --> 00:29:07,280 Speaker 1: and we used two r o vs to look for 416 00:29:07,360 --> 00:29:10,720 Speaker 1: the plane. And um, then we we hopped in the 417 00:29:10,920 --> 00:29:14,960 Speaker 1: zodiac and the water was so clear amazingly and that 418 00:29:15,200 --> 00:29:19,719 Speaker 1: we just kind of did a visual search near the shoreline. Um, 419 00:29:19,840 --> 00:29:24,280 Speaker 1: we didn't see anything, but we also landed on the 420 00:29:24,360 --> 00:29:32,520 Speaker 1: beach and went into into the woods. But um, it's 421 00:29:32,600 --> 00:29:35,440 Speaker 1: really serene and peaceful. There are two other boats in 422 00:29:36,280 --> 00:29:40,000 Speaker 1: Poor Duchess right now other than us, but we're kind 423 00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:42,880 Speaker 1: of far away from them. So we're just anchored down 424 00:29:42,960 --> 00:29:45,920 Speaker 1: for the night with the sun going down, not too 425 00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:50,440 Speaker 1: much light left, and he's I don't know what he 426 00:29:50,560 --> 00:29:54,600 Speaker 1: needs to do it maybe talking about hope for tomorrow. Um, 427 00:29:54,680 --> 00:29:57,480 Speaker 1: so tomorrow we're going to use the r o vs 428 00:29:57,600 --> 00:30:00,560 Speaker 1: and areas that we didn't search to day and we're 429 00:30:00,600 --> 00:30:03,520 Speaker 1: also hopefully gonna go out on the zodiac and see 430 00:30:03,560 --> 00:30:06,160 Speaker 1: if the water is still super clear, if we can 431 00:30:06,240 --> 00:30:09,320 Speaker 1: cover more ground when the light is better, when the 432 00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:11,440 Speaker 1: sun is right above us. So we did it kind 433 00:30:11,480 --> 00:30:14,880 Speaker 1: of late in the day today and we we're close 434 00:30:14,960 --> 00:30:18,280 Speaker 1: to shore. But um, but yeah, So, I mean, we 435 00:30:18,360 --> 00:30:21,520 Speaker 1: found the exact spot that was pinpointed to us where 436 00:30:21,720 --> 00:30:24,800 Speaker 1: the cess and the tail was pulled up, and we've 437 00:30:24,920 --> 00:30:28,680 Speaker 1: been just using the RV sook around that area. Um, 438 00:30:29,560 --> 00:30:32,440 Speaker 1: we're concentrated in a very specific spot in poort Edges. 439 00:30:35,480 --> 00:30:39,440 Speaker 1: I mean, I'm excited for dinner. It's getting colder. It 440 00:30:39,520 --> 00:30:42,360 Speaker 1: was actually really nice today. It was it was sunny 441 00:30:42,640 --> 00:30:45,840 Speaker 1: and it was warm at points an hour on the 442 00:30:45,880 --> 00:30:48,080 Speaker 1: front of the boat looking at the beach where the 443 00:30:48,120 --> 00:30:50,760 Speaker 1: bear was a few minutes ago. And it's freezing cold 444 00:30:50,840 --> 00:30:56,280 Speaker 1: and we're hungry. That night after dinner below deck as 445 00:30:56,360 --> 00:31:00,960 Speaker 1: we fell asleep, this is what we heard. H h 446 00:31:02,920 --> 00:31:20,800 Speaker 1: h h h m hm m hm hm hm m. 447 00:31:28,800 --> 00:31:32,560 Speaker 1: So today's day two of our search and another beautiful 448 00:31:32,640 --> 00:31:36,520 Speaker 1: day's sunny. We just had breakfast and uh Andy has 449 00:31:36,600 --> 00:31:39,080 Speaker 1: binoculars and it's piloting the boat. Mark is on the 450 00:31:39,160 --> 00:31:40,600 Speaker 1: roof of the boat. We heard his voice and we 451 00:31:40,640 --> 00:31:42,080 Speaker 1: didn't know where he was, but he's on the roof 452 00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:46,480 Speaker 1: and we're gonna take advantage of the sunlight and the 453 00:31:46,560 --> 00:31:50,320 Speaker 1: low tide and the clear water to go to the 454 00:31:50,400 --> 00:31:53,760 Speaker 1: area where the tail was pulled up and see if 455 00:31:53,800 --> 00:31:55,840 Speaker 1: we can see anything visually and then also used the 456 00:31:56,040 --> 00:31:58,720 Speaker 1: r o v S again um to cover ground that 457 00:31:58,840 --> 00:32:03,760 Speaker 1: we didn't cover yesterday. So for a while that's what 458 00:32:03,920 --> 00:32:07,440 Speaker 1: we did R o v S a visual search. But 459 00:32:07,560 --> 00:32:12,160 Speaker 1: other than eel, grass and fish again, nothing well, we 460 00:32:12,320 --> 00:32:15,640 Speaker 1: did spot something. Yeah, So we're we're right off the 461 00:32:15,680 --> 00:32:18,480 Speaker 1: coast of henteron Brook Island and we're we see some 462 00:32:18,640 --> 00:32:21,760 Speaker 1: rusted out wreckage on the beach. We're not really sure 463 00:32:21,800 --> 00:32:23,560 Speaker 1: what it is. It looks maybe like it's part of 464 00:32:23,600 --> 00:32:27,880 Speaker 1: a boat. Andy suggested we head to shore. So John 465 00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:33,200 Speaker 1: at looking at that steel debris on the beach. It's 466 00:32:34,400 --> 00:32:36,400 Speaker 1: and thinking of the number of storms that have happened 467 00:32:36,440 --> 00:32:39,360 Speaker 1: in the last fifty years and pushed up up. Being 468 00:32:39,440 --> 00:32:41,360 Speaker 1: that the plane was aluminum and it could have had 469 00:32:42,200 --> 00:32:45,240 Speaker 1: there's a good chance that looking at the beach line 470 00:32:46,040 --> 00:32:49,800 Speaker 1: along this point, if there was something out here, it 471 00:32:49,840 --> 00:32:51,920 Speaker 1: could have got pushed up there. We're seeing a lot 472 00:32:51,960 --> 00:32:53,600 Speaker 1: of steel things that got pushed up there. It's a 473 00:32:53,640 --> 00:32:57,440 Speaker 1: lot heavier in debtsort than aluminum. So it's it's interesting. 474 00:32:57,520 --> 00:32:59,480 Speaker 1: I mean, it's interesting to think. I mean, at least 475 00:32:59,520 --> 00:33:01,520 Speaker 1: part of it could have watched up onto the shore. 476 00:33:02,960 --> 00:33:05,240 Speaker 1: Maybe not the engines. Why I keep watching it, but 477 00:33:05,320 --> 00:33:09,680 Speaker 1: there's an engine. I keep watching the line with the binoculars, 478 00:33:09,760 --> 00:33:15,800 Speaker 1: and I keep you know, every Yeah, there's another piece 479 00:33:15,880 --> 00:33:19,480 Speaker 1: of metal in there, and I can see where just 480 00:33:19,600 --> 00:33:24,280 Speaker 1: straight in from us under the sea. It's not a 481 00:33:24,320 --> 00:33:28,480 Speaker 1: big piece. But we have we have these uh Andy 482 00:33:28,520 --> 00:33:32,080 Speaker 1: has these image stabilized expensive binoculars which are really nice 483 00:33:32,160 --> 00:33:35,000 Speaker 1: because we can see pretty far. And you know, usually 484 00:33:35,080 --> 00:33:37,440 Speaker 1: the binoculars are shaking, but you press this button and 485 00:33:37,560 --> 00:33:42,160 Speaker 1: it stabilizes it. So's it's helpful. Mark and Andy Prepp 486 00:33:42,240 --> 00:33:45,240 Speaker 1: the zodiac. We have a radio. We have air horn 487 00:33:45,480 --> 00:33:50,520 Speaker 1: and flares. Che tim if you can see a bear 488 00:33:50,600 --> 00:33:54,560 Speaker 1: coming towards us. We all getting in the boat. Yeah, 489 00:33:55,680 --> 00:34:23,279 Speaker 1: we climbed in and took off. Yeah. Clear when you 490 00:34:23,320 --> 00:34:29,960 Speaker 1: get close. So the wreckage, the metal that we saw 491 00:34:30,080 --> 00:34:35,360 Speaker 1: is further down shore. You yea, when you do anything. 492 00:34:36,040 --> 00:34:38,080 Speaker 1: We're trying to get a little bit of shelter from 493 00:34:38,160 --> 00:34:49,759 Speaker 1: this shop. You probably fine, did you guys get out? Yeah? 494 00:34:50,320 --> 00:34:54,239 Speaker 1: And you can just specting that guy. You got some 495 00:34:54,480 --> 00:34:57,040 Speaker 1: rocks here, you're gonna be able to pop and go 496 00:34:57,640 --> 00:34:59,279 Speaker 1: if you want to go flos if your feet your 497 00:35:00,200 --> 00:35:05,840 Speaker 1: let me go. Ye rocks the lines. So did you 498 00:35:05,880 --> 00:35:24,120 Speaker 1: get out? M I'm sure, so's Andy? You like you 499 00:35:24,160 --> 00:35:26,520 Speaker 1: can leave him on too. I think it's gonna lead 500 00:35:26,520 --> 00:35:28,960 Speaker 1: mine on for now. Yeah. They're worm Yeah, it's kind 501 00:35:28,960 --> 00:35:32,439 Speaker 1: of just while I'm moving it on the wipe ust. 502 00:35:33,360 --> 00:35:44,560 Speaker 1: We combed our way down the beach for a minute. 503 00:35:44,719 --> 00:35:50,160 Speaker 1: I disappeared into the woods. John, Yeah, where are you? 504 00:35:50,560 --> 00:35:58,799 Speaker 1: I'm on the bear drow okay, okay. As we picked 505 00:35:58,880 --> 00:36:07,760 Speaker 1: up debris, steel would bong. We looked closely for pieces 506 00:36:07,800 --> 00:36:15,879 Speaker 1: of aluminum. The missing plane was made mostly of aluminum ore. 507 00:36:15,920 --> 00:36:28,320 Speaker 1: Coming up on more steel again, not a not a 508 00:36:28,400 --> 00:36:37,640 Speaker 1: fifty five young drum. You've heard of? An old boat? 509 00:36:39,160 --> 00:36:43,040 Speaker 1: Paul and I kept showing Andy anything that seemed remotely interesting. 510 00:36:44,440 --> 00:36:45,880 Speaker 1: So you're want to just pick up this piece of 511 00:36:45,960 --> 00:36:51,879 Speaker 1: hose here off the beach which we're looking at. It's 512 00:36:51,880 --> 00:36:58,200 Speaker 1: got some steel reinforcing and a braided core. Doesn't look 513 00:36:58,280 --> 00:37:04,279 Speaker 1: typically marine. It definitely looks like an expensive construction, kind 514 00:37:04,280 --> 00:37:10,439 Speaker 1: of shielded like it could be possibly aircraft. We don't 515 00:37:10,480 --> 00:37:14,719 Speaker 1: see any numbers or what makes you say that it's 516 00:37:14,760 --> 00:37:17,440 Speaker 1: not marine. How can you just just because of the 517 00:37:19,040 --> 00:37:24,040 Speaker 1: um you have a you have a lot of room 518 00:37:24,320 --> 00:37:26,839 Speaker 1: and marine compared to aircraft. So you would be able 519 00:37:26,880 --> 00:37:29,120 Speaker 1: to instead of buying a hose that would be this 520 00:37:29,239 --> 00:37:33,480 Speaker 1: expensive to construct, you would run it away from you know, 521 00:37:33,920 --> 00:37:35,920 Speaker 1: that had to get close to heat or some reason. 522 00:37:36,000 --> 00:37:39,359 Speaker 1: They had that shielded hose. I think it's worth saving. Sure. 523 00:37:40,680 --> 00:37:43,239 Speaker 1: Did you see about the MH three seventy guy, the 524 00:37:43,320 --> 00:37:46,319 Speaker 1: guy who would go around and uh like the Maldives 525 00:37:46,440 --> 00:37:49,200 Speaker 1: and he went hunting for pieces of the plane and 526 00:37:49,239 --> 00:37:53,120 Speaker 1: he actually found a few. There's the article in the 527 00:37:53,160 --> 00:37:57,719 Speaker 1: Atlantic about it recently. So this is copper wire. It's 528 00:37:57,760 --> 00:38:01,600 Speaker 1: all rolled up like it was a part of storage. 529 00:38:02,200 --> 00:38:04,520 Speaker 1: It was amazing what Andy could tell from even the 530 00:38:04,680 --> 00:38:07,880 Speaker 1: smallest piece of debris by the type of wood or 531 00:38:08,040 --> 00:38:11,520 Speaker 1: nail or metal, or how something was constructed. He could 532 00:38:11,560 --> 00:38:14,279 Speaker 1: say this is from a boat, or this is pre 533 00:38:14,480 --> 00:38:22,759 Speaker 1: nineteen and then here's our shipwreck, and it must be 534 00:38:22,920 --> 00:38:26,480 Speaker 1: past two o'clock huh. I think it is because the 535 00:38:26,600 --> 00:38:33,759 Speaker 1: tide looks like it's going down. Ye Oh, it was 536 00:38:33,920 --> 00:38:37,160 Speaker 1: old seeing this boat up close. You're telling me anymore 537 00:38:37,200 --> 00:38:42,520 Speaker 1: about it? No, it's interesting because it looks like careful. 538 00:38:42,680 --> 00:38:45,520 Speaker 1: Like I said, the nails could be sticking up. So 539 00:38:45,680 --> 00:38:47,880 Speaker 1: we're seeing these deck planks and a little bit of 540 00:38:47,920 --> 00:38:50,520 Speaker 1: the blue right back there on different to a well. 541 00:38:50,920 --> 00:38:53,719 Speaker 1: And you can see here the blue and in the 542 00:38:54,040 --> 00:38:56,399 Speaker 1: square nails and that deck plank. I'd picked up back 543 00:38:56,400 --> 00:39:05,120 Speaker 1: there and thought this this where is this a tank? 544 00:39:07,080 --> 00:39:11,680 Speaker 1: Guess this is a tank? And where's the rest of 545 00:39:11,719 --> 00:39:15,680 Speaker 1: the whole? Like is this and is that fish tote 546 00:39:17,040 --> 00:39:21,520 Speaker 1: part of it? I see there's a plastic coat and 547 00:39:21,600 --> 00:39:23,960 Speaker 1: classic where nails. Would they tell you that it's older? 548 00:39:24,480 --> 00:39:30,040 Speaker 1: They do? They do, except for pretty much Johnny Wooden 549 00:39:30,080 --> 00:39:33,799 Speaker 1: construction is older. After combing through the wreckage for a bit, 550 00:39:33,920 --> 00:39:38,279 Speaker 1: we moved on and kept looking for clues. Yeah, we 551 00:39:38,360 --> 00:39:42,080 Speaker 1: found us another piece of illuminum. You know what, it's 552 00:39:42,080 --> 00:39:48,600 Speaker 1: stainless steel in stayle steel. I guess is it's a sink, 553 00:39:50,160 --> 00:39:54,480 Speaker 1: the kitchen sink. You found a sink. It's stainless I 554 00:39:54,560 --> 00:40:00,080 Speaker 1: thought it? Do you guys? See John? Yeah? Right, are 555 00:40:00,080 --> 00:40:02,480 Speaker 1: I'm pointing there's something white. I think it's a rock, 556 00:40:03,440 --> 00:40:10,640 Speaker 1: but I can't really point. Okay, it's like rounded, I think, 557 00:40:11,080 --> 00:40:15,560 Speaker 1: is it a rock, I'm going he's going no, it's 558 00:40:15,760 --> 00:40:24,000 Speaker 1: I think he's classic. Okay. In addition to a literal 559 00:40:24,160 --> 00:40:27,920 Speaker 1: kitchen sink, we found a checker piece, a child's flip flop, 560 00:40:28,040 --> 00:40:31,040 Speaker 1: a car bumper, dead jellyfish, the carcass of an eagle, 561 00:40:31,200 --> 00:40:33,600 Speaker 1: and a ton of garbage. And I mean a ton 562 00:40:33,680 --> 00:40:37,440 Speaker 1: of garbage. We've essentially turned the earth into a rotating landfill, 563 00:40:37,880 --> 00:40:42,640 Speaker 1: trash and plastic everywhere, even here on this otherwise pristine island. 564 00:40:43,200 --> 00:40:46,520 Speaker 1: The sheer amount of trash made our job hard, so 565 00:40:46,719 --> 00:40:49,839 Speaker 1: much crap to sift through, but sit through it we did. 566 00:40:52,880 --> 00:40:55,760 Speaker 1: You know what kind of reminds me of Phoebe Cooper, 567 00:40:55,880 --> 00:40:59,320 Speaker 1: because that one kid digging on a beach found some 568 00:40:59,480 --> 00:41:01,800 Speaker 1: of the money. And it's just like that kid happened 569 00:41:01,840 --> 00:41:03,759 Speaker 1: to be digging at the right spot at the right 570 00:41:03,840 --> 00:41:09,000 Speaker 1: time and found a clue. And so you know, we're 571 00:41:09,040 --> 00:41:14,040 Speaker 1: sitting here like coming through shift wreckage and and garbage, 572 00:41:14,160 --> 00:41:20,120 Speaker 1: and you know one piece could be an answer. Then 573 00:41:20,360 --> 00:41:23,520 Speaker 1: for the first time, a piece of aluminum that wasn't 574 00:41:23,560 --> 00:41:27,160 Speaker 1: a can castings, but that's definitely a casting luminum casting 575 00:41:27,920 --> 00:41:39,360 Speaker 1: rubber hose. What is that's in the shape of it. 576 00:41:39,440 --> 00:41:43,480 Speaker 1: It sort of looks like a bell housing it Scott. 577 00:41:45,160 --> 00:41:49,040 Speaker 1: This would have been the the finished edge probably why 578 00:41:49,080 --> 00:41:52,560 Speaker 1: it was quated. It would probably against something steel and 579 00:41:52,640 --> 00:41:54,720 Speaker 1: then it would come around and I had another machine 580 00:41:57,360 --> 00:41:59,239 Speaker 1: off the back of the engine. It would just been 581 00:41:59,320 --> 00:42:03,600 Speaker 1: like a cover or that um they flywheel would have 582 00:42:03,640 --> 00:42:10,719 Speaker 1: sat in. We kept it and moved one found a 583 00:42:10,800 --> 00:42:25,960 Speaker 1: small strip of metal back there O that there stainless steel. 584 00:42:27,480 --> 00:42:31,680 Speaker 1: It looks like it was part of a clamp. But 585 00:42:38,960 --> 00:42:42,400 Speaker 1: what would be my guess, probably from a boat probably, 586 00:42:42,640 --> 00:42:48,640 Speaker 1: I mean standless clamps are used um to hold hoses, boats, airplanes, 587 00:42:49,440 --> 00:42:54,600 Speaker 1: all kinds of mechanical I mean, to really find something 588 00:42:54,680 --> 00:42:57,040 Speaker 1: that we could identify as part of the plane, what 589 00:42:57,120 --> 00:42:59,120 Speaker 1: would it take, I mean other than the tail number 590 00:42:59,200 --> 00:43:02,120 Speaker 1: or serio like that cowing you know that would turned 591 00:43:02,160 --> 00:43:07,799 Speaker 1: out to be Honda. They have a uh Cessna will 592 00:43:07,840 --> 00:43:12,120 Speaker 1: have a definite um right on the front. That's a 593 00:43:12,840 --> 00:43:15,279 Speaker 1: Usually it's a plastic piece that's I mean that would 594 00:43:15,320 --> 00:43:20,040 Speaker 1: be like a smoking gun. UM. Any any of the 595 00:43:22,000 --> 00:43:25,279 Speaker 1: chunks of a plane aluminum like that are riveted and 596 00:43:25,960 --> 00:43:27,319 Speaker 1: have a lot of different things. So if we can 597 00:43:27,400 --> 00:43:30,400 Speaker 1: found a chunk of wing, we would know that it 598 00:43:30,520 --> 00:43:33,080 Speaker 1: was airplane related, and then we could look back and 599 00:43:33,200 --> 00:43:36,919 Speaker 1: see by people that really know airplanes better, what type 600 00:43:36,920 --> 00:43:41,200 Speaker 1: of airplane was this um, and then maybe get closer 601 00:43:41,280 --> 00:43:45,680 Speaker 1: to the idea of could it be the one that's 602 00:43:45,680 --> 00:43:48,560 Speaker 1: a beautiful old piece of wood? There? Searching in a 603 00:43:48,640 --> 00:43:52,239 Speaker 1: creek nearby, I found a lead patch, probably from a 604 00:43:52,320 --> 00:43:55,879 Speaker 1: boat that sank. Again, if people will say, would would 605 00:43:56,040 --> 00:43:59,719 Speaker 1: chunk of an airplane wash ashore made of aluminum? This 606 00:43:59,880 --> 00:44:04,359 Speaker 1: is made of lead, It washed ashore, or you found 607 00:44:04,440 --> 00:44:08,600 Speaker 1: it up the creek from the high tide, so um, 608 00:44:09,080 --> 00:44:12,120 Speaker 1: Definitely things get pushed up. I think this was a 609 00:44:12,160 --> 00:44:15,600 Speaker 1: good idea. I mean, you know, given the situation, we 610 00:44:15,719 --> 00:44:17,759 Speaker 1: probably have a better chance of finding I think the 611 00:44:18,000 --> 00:44:21,680 Speaker 1: playing on the shore. I think so. And we're able 612 00:44:21,719 --> 00:44:27,239 Speaker 1: to search so thoroughly, you know, looking at the rocks 613 00:44:27,320 --> 00:44:29,800 Speaker 1: where the eel grass that was one thing. The the 614 00:44:30,000 --> 00:44:32,279 Speaker 1: r o vs quickly became tangled in the ear eel 615 00:44:32,320 --> 00:44:37,440 Speaker 1: glass gel grass. The the thrusters um and see it's 616 00:44:37,480 --> 00:44:39,680 Speaker 1: good we have you alonggo because you can identify off this. 617 00:44:40,360 --> 00:44:43,520 Speaker 1: I won't really, you know, barring something blatantly obvious like 618 00:44:43,560 --> 00:44:45,279 Speaker 1: a waning in one. Yeah, I still put these on 619 00:44:46,480 --> 00:44:50,040 Speaker 1: um places where we you know, we look at Okay, 620 00:44:50,200 --> 00:44:52,320 Speaker 1: that doesn't necessarily need to be repaired, but we'd like 621 00:44:52,400 --> 00:44:55,200 Speaker 1: to protect it. So far, so far, coming to beach, 622 00:44:55,239 --> 00:44:58,440 Speaker 1: we've only found one piece of non can aluminum. Yea, 623 00:44:58,560 --> 00:45:02,080 Speaker 1: that pizza that we found back there, right that, Yeah, 624 00:45:02,160 --> 00:45:05,000 Speaker 1: that was a cast piece of a Liminum too. We're 625 00:45:05,040 --> 00:45:08,000 Speaker 1: fairly starting that would not be from an airplane. Um, 626 00:45:10,480 --> 00:45:12,960 Speaker 1: the the engine parts could be cast. There could be 627 00:45:13,040 --> 00:45:16,200 Speaker 1: parts that are bolted to the engine that are cast. Um, 628 00:45:18,480 --> 00:45:22,320 Speaker 1: it wasn't it wasn't necessarily a shape that would preclude 629 00:45:22,360 --> 00:45:25,319 Speaker 1: it from being from an airplane. Might as well take 630 00:45:25,360 --> 00:45:27,720 Speaker 1: it back with us. We can take it back somebody 631 00:45:27,760 --> 00:45:32,160 Speaker 1: that might that's an expert. No more about. But um, 632 00:45:32,320 --> 00:45:35,480 Speaker 1: we're used in a lot of marine engines as well. 633 00:45:35,960 --> 00:45:42,520 Speaker 1: Aluminum cast like that. So the the plane. If the 634 00:45:42,600 --> 00:45:46,239 Speaker 1: plane is sitting somewhere under the water here, or if 635 00:45:46,280 --> 00:45:49,080 Speaker 1: it's broken into pieces, you think it's still be whatever's 636 00:45:49,160 --> 00:45:54,200 Speaker 1: left of it was still being pretty good shape. Liminium 637 00:45:54,239 --> 00:46:00,759 Speaker 1: doest pretty well in this climate underwater. Um, so it 638 00:46:00,800 --> 00:46:07,919 Speaker 1: could be covered with marine growth. But yeah, I think 639 00:46:07,960 --> 00:46:18,359 Speaker 1: it it could be. H what's it been over fifty years? Yeah, 640 00:46:18,760 --> 00:46:21,600 Speaker 1: it could be. I mean, especially if it's for whatever 641 00:46:21,680 --> 00:46:23,719 Speaker 1: reason it's entombed in mud. I mean, it might be 642 00:46:23,840 --> 00:46:28,880 Speaker 1: preserved pretty well. We're able to find it. I just 643 00:46:28,960 --> 00:46:30,960 Speaker 1: kept having this image with the R O V yesterday 644 00:46:31,000 --> 00:46:33,359 Speaker 1: of the tail and seeing that, seeing the number pop up. 645 00:46:33,440 --> 00:46:35,480 Speaker 1: But and we don't know if it We're not sure 646 00:46:35,520 --> 00:46:38,320 Speaker 1: if the tail was pulled up and delivered to the 647 00:46:38,440 --> 00:46:40,600 Speaker 1: tender to take the court over, or just the numbers 648 00:46:40,680 --> 00:46:42,680 Speaker 1: were transferred. Right. That was a little bit of a 649 00:46:43,280 --> 00:46:46,680 Speaker 1: Bob could really remember that. And I wonder, Um, I 650 00:46:46,719 --> 00:46:48,479 Speaker 1: mean the number might have been in more than one place. 651 00:46:49,480 --> 00:46:51,200 Speaker 1: I mean that the main you know, would have been 652 00:46:51,239 --> 00:47:01,080 Speaker 1: in one prominent place. But we probably battling right now, boy, 653 00:47:26,120 --> 00:47:31,239 Speaker 1: losing daylight. We doubled back, so we're about to get 654 00:47:31,280 --> 00:47:34,000 Speaker 1: on the part of the beach directly opposite from where 655 00:47:34,120 --> 00:48:10,880 Speaker 1: Bob found the tail. M h m hm. Sure, looking 656 00:48:10,920 --> 00:48:15,239 Speaker 1: for like a message carbon the cliff Bogs is here. 657 00:48:19,000 --> 00:48:22,240 Speaker 1: As the tide rose, we reached the massive rock formation 658 00:48:22,440 --> 00:48:29,160 Speaker 1: jutting into the water blocking us uh but yeah, is 659 00:48:29,200 --> 00:48:34,319 Speaker 1: there a way around that side? Uh? Well, I could 660 00:48:34,360 --> 00:48:35,840 Speaker 1: hop up on here, but I just don't know how 661 00:48:35,880 --> 00:48:39,120 Speaker 1: steepid is on the other side. It's manage the ball. 662 00:48:39,200 --> 00:48:41,880 Speaker 1: You might want to go down to Paul, Say, what 663 00:48:46,640 --> 00:48:49,000 Speaker 1: where are you at? I'm on the other side now 664 00:48:49,480 --> 00:48:52,840 Speaker 1: I'm behind you. Oh okay, yeah you, I mean you 665 00:48:53,080 --> 00:48:54,279 Speaker 1: you can go too that. You have to get on 666 00:48:54,320 --> 00:48:55,839 Speaker 1: your knees and crawls. Do you want me to grab 667 00:48:55,880 --> 00:49:12,960 Speaker 1: Anya you might want? Yeah? Can you just hold that? 668 00:49:14,040 --> 00:49:16,960 Speaker 1: So Paul is crawling almost on his stomach under a 669 00:49:17,000 --> 00:49:28,279 Speaker 1: big rock formation and he's through. You know, I know 670 00:49:28,400 --> 00:49:30,320 Speaker 1: it's unlikely, but when you do something like that, I 671 00:49:30,400 --> 00:49:33,520 Speaker 1: just can't help but imagine this thing collapsing. Well, I 672 00:49:33,600 --> 00:49:35,359 Speaker 1: was waiting until I was waiting until you got out. 673 00:49:36,239 --> 00:49:38,520 Speaker 1: So now how do we go? It looks like you 674 00:49:38,560 --> 00:49:42,160 Speaker 1: did get shimmy down the side. Okay, and like that, 675 00:49:42,600 --> 00:49:47,000 Speaker 1: our time on the island ran out. Your Mark, you're 676 00:49:47,040 --> 00:49:53,839 Speaker 1: still on there? Uh in the galley is waiting? Well? 677 00:49:53,920 --> 00:50:00,239 Speaker 1: You in my world famous spaghetti dinner. All right, Well 678 00:50:00,280 --> 00:50:02,560 Speaker 1: we walked up an appetite, were turned around, and we're 679 00:50:02,640 --> 00:50:04,680 Speaker 1: headed your way. So we'll see in a little bit. 680 00:50:07,600 --> 00:50:10,400 Speaker 1: Mark picked us up in the zodiac. You like the 681 00:50:10,800 --> 00:50:14,800 Speaker 1: assorted oh stuff that I'm bringing back. We found a 682 00:50:14,840 --> 00:50:17,279 Speaker 1: lot of stuff, but this is the stuff we weren't 683 00:50:17,320 --> 00:50:24,480 Speaker 1: quite sure about. Oh wow, wow, man, it's so pretty 684 00:50:28,800 --> 00:50:33,120 Speaker 1: getting water over the side. Change my socks when I 685 00:50:33,200 --> 00:50:45,279 Speaker 1: got back or suck only got one water walk flood. Yeah, 686 00:50:45,320 --> 00:50:47,759 Speaker 1: we found a lot from that one shipwreck whatever. It 687 00:50:47,920 --> 00:50:52,680 Speaker 1: was pretty cool. Old boat. I don't know, wouldn't beams 688 00:50:52,760 --> 00:51:00,279 Speaker 1: and planks, kind of square nails, definitely a little construction. Yeah, 689 00:51:03,440 --> 00:51:08,600 Speaker 1: scare nails anymore. Climbing up a ladder onto the Arctic skimmer, 690 00:51:08,960 --> 00:51:11,640 Speaker 1: I set down the debris I kept, including the piece 691 00:51:11,680 --> 00:51:15,680 Speaker 1: of cast aluminum, and I changed my sock for dinner 692 00:51:15,920 --> 00:51:20,560 Speaker 1: mark spaghetti. Then it was time to leave. Andy navigated 693 00:51:20,640 --> 00:51:23,359 Speaker 1: us out of Poor Duchess, but before he got too 694 00:51:23,440 --> 00:51:27,040 Speaker 1: far I asked him to stop for a minute. So 695 00:51:27,239 --> 00:51:31,080 Speaker 1: we're just off the coast of Pension Brook, but specifically 696 00:51:32,280 --> 00:51:35,040 Speaker 1: New Check and there's a really narrow strip of land 697 00:51:35,040 --> 00:51:37,840 Speaker 1: and we've talked to some pilots who say that this 698 00:51:37,960 --> 00:51:40,320 Speaker 1: is a good place to land a plane and they 699 00:51:40,440 --> 00:51:43,640 Speaker 1: use it actually now to land plane small planes. Um, 700 00:51:43,719 --> 00:51:47,360 Speaker 1: it's like a very long narrow strip of lands rocky 701 00:51:48,280 --> 00:51:52,359 Speaker 1: um sandy um, you know, and it's surrounded, it's rained 702 00:51:52,400 --> 00:51:56,319 Speaker 1: by the east. These mountains these really tall maybe get 703 00:51:56,360 --> 00:52:00,160 Speaker 1: more than like a thousand feet hide really high. Um. 704 00:52:00,360 --> 00:52:04,600 Speaker 1: But so if we run on the hypothesis that the 705 00:52:04,719 --> 00:52:08,040 Speaker 1: tailpiece that was found in Port Duchess belongs to the 706 00:52:08,120 --> 00:52:11,080 Speaker 1: plane we're looking for, trying to figure out, well, you 707 00:52:11,160 --> 00:52:14,560 Speaker 1: have this perfect landing strip, why would you have gone 708 00:52:14,600 --> 00:52:17,600 Speaker 1: around the corner into and ended up in Port Chess. 709 00:52:18,719 --> 00:52:21,200 Speaker 1: I mean maybe a few explanations. The plane could have 710 00:52:21,239 --> 00:52:24,439 Speaker 1: gone down around here and the tailpiece got dragged around 711 00:52:24,480 --> 00:52:28,520 Speaker 1: the corner. Um. Maybe the visibility was really bad and 712 00:52:29,120 --> 00:52:31,960 Speaker 1: don was the pilot was trying to turn around to 713 00:52:32,040 --> 00:52:35,480 Speaker 1: come back and land in this spot. UM. I mean, 714 00:52:35,560 --> 00:52:38,520 Speaker 1: there are different explanations. But it's really weird to see 715 00:52:38,560 --> 00:52:40,400 Speaker 1: this in person. I've seen this on Google Maps so 716 00:52:40,480 --> 00:52:44,239 Speaker 1: many times that you know, to be here with these 717 00:52:44,440 --> 00:52:51,600 Speaker 1: thousand foot tall mountains and this rugged, beautiful water. Um. 718 00:52:51,800 --> 00:52:53,680 Speaker 1: But yeah, so we're about to head back to Cordova 719 00:52:53,760 --> 00:52:57,200 Speaker 1: and we're leaving Pinsinbrook behind, and if we come back 720 00:52:57,280 --> 00:52:59,800 Speaker 1: here with more equipment, we would love to search this 721 00:53:00,040 --> 00:53:05,040 Speaker 1: area off this um long landing strip. How do I feel? 722 00:53:05,960 --> 00:53:10,879 Speaker 1: How do I feel? I mean, honestly, I feel good. 723 00:53:10,960 --> 00:53:15,440 Speaker 1: I feel. Why am I asking myself how I feel? I? Uh, 724 00:53:16,480 --> 00:53:19,080 Speaker 1: I feel like this trip was worth it because I 725 00:53:19,200 --> 00:53:21,600 Speaker 1: got a really good understanding of the geography of the area, 726 00:53:22,320 --> 00:53:24,200 Speaker 1: um of this strip of land that I've seen on 727 00:53:24,280 --> 00:53:27,600 Speaker 1: a map but I've never seen in person, of how 728 00:53:27,719 --> 00:53:30,120 Speaker 1: tall the mountains are, of what port edges looks like. 729 00:53:31,000 --> 00:53:33,839 Speaker 1: And when we went to the spot that um Bob 730 00:53:33,920 --> 00:53:35,880 Speaker 1: told us he found the cess in the tail, we 731 00:53:35,960 --> 00:53:38,120 Speaker 1: got a much better idea of where he would have 732 00:53:39,080 --> 00:53:42,720 Speaker 1: set his nets and where he could theoretically have pulled 733 00:53:42,800 --> 00:53:44,920 Speaker 1: up the tailpiece, and you can kind of narrow it 734 00:53:44,960 --> 00:53:48,600 Speaker 1: down to this very specific area. And uh Andy and 735 00:53:48,640 --> 00:53:51,440 Speaker 1: Mark helped us with that. So if we were to 736 00:53:51,480 --> 00:53:54,240 Speaker 1: come back here with a magnetometer with side scanning sonar, 737 00:53:54,400 --> 00:53:57,600 Speaker 1: we have some really good specific points in areas that 738 00:53:57,719 --> 00:54:02,000 Speaker 1: we could search. And then for several hours as we 739 00:54:02,160 --> 00:54:06,959 Speaker 1: zip back a break, no searching, no interviews, just time 740 00:54:07,040 --> 00:54:10,840 Speaker 1: to think and try not to puke, because the return trip, 741 00:54:11,000 --> 00:54:13,879 Speaker 1: for me at least, was rough. I don't usually get 742 00:54:13,960 --> 00:54:17,120 Speaker 1: sick on boats, but for whatever reason that day I 743 00:54:17,280 --> 00:54:21,320 Speaker 1: did nausea aside. I stepped out of the cabin onto 744 00:54:21,400 --> 00:54:25,360 Speaker 1: the deck multiple times, wearing a life vest, gripping rails, 745 00:54:25,719 --> 00:54:29,320 Speaker 1: watching islands and mountains vanished behind us, bathed by a 746 00:54:29,400 --> 00:54:33,439 Speaker 1: striking sunset, fiery reds and oranges giving away to cool 747 00:54:33,600 --> 00:54:49,520 Speaker 1: blues and paints. As darkness fell, we pulled into Cordova. 748 00:54:57,880 --> 00:55:00,960 Speaker 1: Now there's something I need to tell you, something I 749 00:55:01,120 --> 00:55:04,759 Speaker 1: haven't told you. The day before, while we were on 750 00:55:04,840 --> 00:55:07,640 Speaker 1: the water, out of cell range, or so we thought, 751 00:55:08,200 --> 00:55:12,720 Speaker 1: Andy's phone buzzed once. It was a text with bad news. 752 00:55:13,719 --> 00:55:18,319 Speaker 1: That day at exactly one pm, about ninety minutes after 753 00:55:18,440 --> 00:55:21,439 Speaker 1: we got to Poor Dutch's, an Army National Guard unit 754 00:55:21,520 --> 00:55:24,600 Speaker 1: in the mountains near Cordova found the body of Neil Durko, 755 00:55:25,160 --> 00:55:28,040 Speaker 1: the thirty three year old hunter who disappeared right before 756 00:55:28,080 --> 00:55:31,120 Speaker 1: we got to town. Durko fell down a steep shoot 757 00:55:31,280 --> 00:55:35,160 Speaker 1: and died. Because such as Alaska, a place where so 758 00:55:35,320 --> 00:55:40,040 Speaker 1: many fine meaning and others die young, where sometimes amateurs 759 00:55:40,120 --> 00:55:45,440 Speaker 1: survive and experts don't, where hunters are found and congressmen aren't. 760 00:56:00,920 --> 00:56:30,000 Speaker 1: Next time on missing in Alaska this week for your 761 00:56:30,080 --> 00:56:35,239 Speaker 1: task something fun. Google Alaska shore Zone. Shore Zone is 762 00:56:35,320 --> 00:56:39,160 Speaker 1: a free interactive mapping system that, among other things, allows 763 00:56:39,200 --> 00:56:42,840 Speaker 1: you to explore seventy thousand miles of shoreline in Alaska. 764 00:56:43,480 --> 00:56:47,040 Speaker 1: Click on a spot and you can see photos, videos, etcetera. 765 00:56:47,480 --> 00:56:51,439 Speaker 1: Go zoom around, visit tension Brooke, who knows maybe you'll 766 00:56:51,480 --> 00:56:54,879 Speaker 1: spot something interesting. You can reach us by phone at 767 00:56:54,920 --> 00:56:58,400 Speaker 1: one eight three three M I A tips that's one 768 00:56:58,520 --> 00:57:02,720 Speaker 1: eight three three say four to eight four seven seven 769 00:57:03,160 --> 00:57:08,000 Speaker 1: again one eight three three six four to eight four 770 00:57:08,480 --> 00:57:12,000 Speaker 1: seven seven, or you can reach us via email at 771 00:57:12,080 --> 00:57:16,080 Speaker 1: tips at iHeart media dot com. That's tips, T I 772 00:57:16,280 --> 00:57:21,600 Speaker 1: P S at iHeart media dot com. Ben Bollen is 773 00:57:21,600 --> 00:57:25,480 Speaker 1: our executive producer. Paul Decan is our supervising producer, Chris 774 00:57:25,560 --> 00:57:29,360 Speaker 1: Brown is our assistant producer, Seth Nicholas Johnson is our producer. 775 00:57:29,760 --> 00:57:32,640 Speaker 1: Sam T. Garden is our research assistant. And I'm your 776 00:57:32,680 --> 00:57:35,880 Speaker 1: host and executive producer, John Wallsack. You can find me 777 00:57:35,960 --> 00:57:39,080 Speaker 1: on Twitter at at John wallzac j O n W 778 00:57:39,480 --> 00:57:43,640 Speaker 1: A l c z A K. Special thanks to our 779 00:57:43,720 --> 00:57:47,120 Speaker 1: captains Andy and Mark, and to Bob Martinson. A big 780 00:57:47,240 --> 00:57:50,479 Speaker 1: thank you also to the Prince William Sound Science Center 781 00:57:50,880 --> 00:57:55,520 Speaker 1: and specifically Scott Pega. Their website is p w S 782 00:57:55,760 --> 00:57:59,640 Speaker 1: sc dot org. If you can go donate there are 783 00:57:59,640 --> 00:58:04,680 Speaker 1: a great nonprofit. Finally, when this wretched pandemic passes, please 784 00:58:04,800 --> 00:58:08,919 Speaker 1: visit Cordova. You won't regret it. Trust me for now, though, 785 00:58:09,080 --> 00:58:11,840 Speaker 1: support the fisherman. If you can afford it, try some 786 00:58:11,960 --> 00:58:15,120 Speaker 1: Copper River salmon. People say it's the best salmon in 787 00:58:15,200 --> 00:58:18,560 Speaker 1: the world. Missing in Alaska is a co production of 788 00:58:18,640 --> 00:58:20,680 Speaker 1: I Heart Media and Greenford Media.