After plane crash

Human remains found in Lake Constance

Human remains at the bottom of Lake Constance

(Bild: Schiffsbergeverein Romanshorn)

Human remains were found at a depth of over 200 meters in Lake Constance at the weekend. They could be passengers from an airplane that crashed over the lake in 1957. All the occupants died at the time. 

The Romanshorn (Switzerland) ship salvage association led by Silvan Paganini has made a surprising and moving discovery while working on the wreckage of a Swissair DC-3 aircraft at the bottom of Lake Constance.

Victim of a plane crash in the 1950s
At a depth of 210 meters, the team came across mortal remains on Saturday afternoon that could possibly be those of the victims of the plane crash in 1957.

The team, which uses state-of-the-art underwater and sonar technology, was working on a side project this weekend to recover the engine of the crashed Swissair DC-3 HB-IRK.

The plane crashed into Lake Constance on June 18, 1957 for unknown reasons. Four of the nine crew members have not yet been recovered.

"Chaotic situation"
"The situation in the debris field at the bottom of the lake is chaotic," reports Paganini. The team documented the find with the help of a diving robot and informed the Thurgau cantonal police on site. A small sample was recovered for further investigation and brought ashore wrapped in a flag and handed over to the authorities.

Paganini was visibly moved: "I would not have expected that we would still find mortal remains today, 68 years after the crash. It also raises questions as to why the crash site was not searched more thoroughly at the time." Out of respect for the victims and their families, the association is refraining from providing detailed information about the discovery. However, Paganini emphasizes the historical and human significance: "With this discovery, perhaps the souls can find their eternal rest and the families can find closure after decades."

Further investigations
The Thurgau cantonal police have confirmed the discovery and handed it over to the Institute of Forensic Medicine in St. Gallen in collaboration with the public prosecutor's office. They are now investigating whether the remains are indeed human and whether they can be attributed to one of the occupants of the Swissair DC-3.