Man who solved Chelmsford teen's cold case now helps find missing Vermont plane in Lake Champlain – Boston 25 News

Lina Portman4 weeks ago

0 1 minute read

EXETER, NH — On Lake Champlain in Burlington, Vermont, a team of underwater investigators believe they have solved a decades-old mystery.

They believe they have found a business plane missing since 1971 at the bottom of Lake Champlain.

“It’s hard to describe, it’s like, wow. Five persons. 53 years, here we go. But we have it,” said Hans Hug, owner of Sonar Search & Recovery.

Hug, using his side-scan sonar, was part of the team.

[ Plane that disappeared in 1971 believed to have been found in Lake Champlain ]

Plane search on Lake Champlain, Vermont

He says team leader Garry Kozak had been searching for the missing plane for years and even identified potential debris fields.

Last July, the team found a plane in 300 feet of water, but it was a false alarm.

“It’s not our plane. That’s not who we’re looking for,” Hug said.

In May, the team returned to Lake Champlain twice, this time in search of a second debris field.

Soon after, Hug's side-scan sonar and underwater video from team member Timothy McDonald's ROV made an unequivocal discovery.

“We line them up. There's no way it's not our plane. I get goosebumps thinking about it,” Hug said.

In 2021, Hans Hug's device found missing Chelmsford teenager Judy Chartier and her car in the Concord River after 39 years.

Judith, Judy, Ann Chartier (Boston 25 News)

[ Finding Judy Chartier ]

It now appears that a new case has been closed.

It is now up to federal investigators to confirm the discovery.

“How does it feel to solve this mystery after more than half a century?” » asked Boston 25 News reporter Bob Ward.

“It’s the same feeling of disbelief as when I met Judy Chartier,” Hug said.

The resolution of this case already opens the way to a new mystery: what is the identity of the first plane they found at Lake Chaplain?

Hans and his team are already there.

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