Bodies of men recovered from plane that crashed into Utah Lake

PROVO, Utah – The bodies of two men aboard a single-engine plane that crashed into Utah Lake early Friday have been recovered.

Officials said the plane, a Cirrus SR22, had been cleared to land at the Provo airport when it went down in the water around 10 a.m

The bodies of both men were recovered later that evening. Since the aircraft was about 2.5 meters deep in water, the crews initially had problems with the rescue.

The pilot was identified as 43-year-old Michael Hyrum Cox of St. George, while the passenger was 46-year-old Mark Andrew Johnson of Washington, who was a father of six.

The aircraft has not yet been completely removed from the water near the boat harbor.

Johnson family

Several witnesses saw the plane crash and called 911 to report the incident.

Provo Fire and Police were on scene, along with the Utah Highway Patrol Dive Team and Utah Country Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue.

The state park was closed due to rescue efforts.