After 17 long years, a family finally found closure when their missing loved one was located.
In August 2007, Lake Huron witnessed a tragic incident involving the crash of a Socata TB-20 Trinidad plane . Onboard were pilot Karen Dodds, aged 52, and her fiancé H. Brooke Stauffer Jr., aged 56.
The plane departed from Mackinac Island en route to Bad Axe, Michigan when it vanished from radar.
A plane is shown flying from Mackinac Island to Bad Axe, Michigan in this Google Maps image.Dodds’ body was the only one that could be found after an extensive search, and it was discovered approximately two months later near the Mackinac Bridge.
For nearly 17 years, the wreckage and the remains of Stauffer eluded discovery.
In October 2023, the families of the victims requested the assistance of Great Lakes Search & Recovery, a private recovery team, to continue the search efforts.
Credit: Great Lakes Search And Recovery via Facebook
The provided image shows a team from Great Lakes Search And Recovery in action.
In August 2024, their persistence finally paid off as they came across the wreckage of the missing plane near Bois Blanc Island.
Credit: Great Lakes Search And Recovery via Facebook
Stauffer’s family finally found closure to the longstanding mystery and their fears with this groundbreaking discovery.
The Michigan State Police recognized the crucial role played by the recovery team in bringing an end to this long-standing mystery.
Michigan’s Great Lakes boast a multitude of shipwrecks, some of which can even be explored using Google Earth.
