LAC SIMON, Quebec (13 May 2008) — Fifty years later and it was still hard Monday for some members of Philippe Ouimet's family to talk about the crash that killed the humble mechanic, his two hunting buddies and their pilot. His sister, Pierrette Ouimet, choked back tears as she described her big brother's quiet demeanour and zest for the outdoors. She was only 14 years old when news arrived at the family's Laval-area home that the plane disappeared somewhere near here, about 100 km northeast of Ottawa. "They didn't know where they crashed," Pierrette Ouimet, 65, said as she stood with about a dozen family members along Lac Simon's north beach. "You always wonder, where is he?" Ouimet was returning from a hunting expedition with friends Philippe Hamel, Tony Chivazza and their pilot Gaetan Deshaies on Nov. 21, 1957 when the amphibious Seabee RC3 disappeared. Years went by and the families didn't have answers, only speculation. It wasn't until Guy Morin, an Ottawa diver who had been trying to find the wreckage for about a decade, discovered the plane last October with two colleagues. Based on Morin's description, a coroner asked police to recover all remains. Morin was at the lake yesterday helping the Surete du Quebec with last-minute details about the search area. He described the conditions as "perfect" but he noted the frigid temperature of the water that police divers were about to enter. Police estimated the water to be about 3C. "These guys are going to feel it," Morin said. Morin's initial investigation revealed two bodies outside the crunched plane, plus another body inside. Police believe the fourth body is also in the plane, which weighs about 900 kilograms and is nearly 50 metres below the water's surface. A barge carrying the officers left shore mid-afternoon and motored over the dive location, about 100 metres from the east bank. Const. Melanie Larouche said officers would try to retrieve the bodies before sundown. They will return today to tow the plane to shore. The plane crash has spawned lore around Lac Simon, a summertime vacation hotspot surrounded by forest and cliffs. For years after the crash, some locals would make up stories about a monster in the lake eating the plane. Gerry and Suzanne Mignault of Alymer know all about the myths. | | Investigators examine the wreckage after the Republic RC-3 Seabee was pulled from the bottom of Lac Simon, where it crashed during a snowstorm 50 years ago. (photo credit: Mike Carroccetto) The couple has spent almost every summer over the past 52 years at the lake and now have a cottage nearby. Suzanne said swimmers have shied away from the deep waters because of the mystery surrounding the crash. "They didn't know what happened," she said. "Nobody knew for sure." For the Ouimet family, the police recovery operation represents another important step to getting long-awaited answers. But Jean Robillard, Ouimet's nephew, still characterized it as a "sad day." He has faint memories as a five-year-old sitting in the Seabee wearing the headset. "My father and mother talked about it for so many years," Robillard explained. His mother died last year, only months before the plane was be found. "My mother would have freaked out," Robillard said of the discovery last fall. "It was a shock after 50 years. It was big news for us." Philippe Ouimet was the fifth oldest of 14 siblings. Many of them stood on the beach watching police prepare the operation up the shore. They aimed binoculars out to the lake, watching officers mark the search area on small watercraft. Therese Ouimet said they were finally getting their closure. "We have him back with us," the sister said. SOURCE - Ottawa SunSCUBA FORUMDISCUSS THIS TOPIC - Dive in and have your say at Scuba Forum |
