Rescue teams from the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Trenton had set up a control centre in Sault Ste. Marie to assist in the search for two missing Alberta men en route to Marathon. The search was called off April 24th. Photo: Twitter/@JRCCTrentCCCOS

By CBC News · Thunder Bay • April 25, 2022

The search for a missing aircraft north of Sault Ste Marie was called off April 24.

Two Alberta men were on board the Piper Comanche which was reported missing on April 14 after it went off the radar near Lake Superior.

John Fehr and Brian Slingerland were flying between Delhi in southern Ontario and the town of Marathon on the north shore of Lake Superior when they vanished.

Search and rescue groups say they flew 360 hours and covered more than 17,000 square kilometres during the search.

"On behalf of everyone involved in the search efforts, I would like to extend my thoughts and prayers to both families," said Captain Martin Zimmer, search master with the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Trenton.

"It was with them in mind that we worked tirelessly, despite challenging weather and geographical conditions over the last several days with our search and rescue partners to find any indication of the aircraft."

Difficult terrain and snow hampered the search.

Searches are only called off after it has been determined that the likelihood of survivability is no longer viable and all reasonable effort has been expended, stated a news release issued by the Canadian Armed Forces.

The search has been turned over the Ontario Provincial Police as a missing persons case.

To see the original story and read related reporting, follow this link to the CBC News website. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/search-suspended-aircraft-wawa-sault-ste-marie-missing-person...