Search & Rescue

The plane was reported missing Sunday, about 12 hours before it was found partially submerged under ice Monday morning.

It isn’t yet clear what specific role the weight might have played in the Bering Air Cessna Caravan’s crash, and whether other factors were involved.

Dangerous avalanche conditions in the area persist, stalling recovery efforts and prompting warnings from forecasters.

The skiers were caught in a slide Tuesday afternoon near the west fork of the Twentymile River, which buried them “between 40 feet and nearly 100 feet deep.”

The U.S. Coast Guard said only one person was believed to be aboard the Canis Majoris when it was last heard from Feb. 20. Its owner, David Klein, is listed as missing.

State troopers said local author Thomas McGuire, 79, went skating alone and failed to return, and that his vehicle was found in a parking lot near the lake.