SAR Heemskerk 1982

[duke1000]

Just wondering if anyone was involved or familiar with this search. This was a Kenn Borek Air flight from Dawson Creek to Dease Lake, around July 19, 1982. Aircraft was a Piper Aerostar. Search base was in Ft St John.
Jim Heemskerk was a friend of mine, and I was on that search for about 2 months. Aircraft was never found during that time. I've often wondered what happened or if the wreckage was eventually found. The whole route was over very mountainous and remote terrain. Be interested if anyone has any further information or thoughts. Thanks.

[broken_slinky]

Interesting article about the accident(s): https://legionmagazine.com/kosmos-1383/
No mention of anything found during the father's retelling of the story in 2013 or in 2021.

[beaverbob]

In 1982 I was flying a C180 for a charter company at Dease Lake. After the official search was called off the father, I think it was, hired a psychic from Simon Fraser in Burnaby and we flew around for a few hours while she held the first aid lady’s personnel effects. She said she got visions of the tail sticking out from water and to look for blue. We found nothing but dozens of blue fuel drums; many on lake shores.
I felt bad for the Father.

[pdw]

I felt bad for the Father.

Is there more detail about the father’s accident Sept 9 11am, the coordinates where it was found? And the time of the son’s departure through the windy-wx July 19th ?

Given the $2million spent to find the son already (in 1982 dollars), the place the father’s search Cessna was found would have been where these searchers felt was worthwhile searching.

[FL030]

In 1982 I was flying a C180 for a charter company at Dease Lake. After the official search was called off the father, I think it was, hired a psychic from Simon Fraser in Burnaby and we flew around for a few hours while she held the first aid lady’s personnel effects. She said she got visions of the tail sticking out from water and to look for blue. We found nothing but dozens of blue fuel drums; many on lake shores.
I felt bad for the Father.

Can you imagine preying on a desperate family like that

[pdw]

…. the father, I think it was, hired a psychic from Simon Fraser in Burnaby and we flew around for a few hours …..

Can you imagine preying on a desperate family like that

That was the father trying everything (pulling out all the stops) to find the son … but surely somebody was praying …seeing the miracle that happened to find the father’s search plane so fast.

[Daniel Cooper]

Yes, thanks to satellites among other technologies we don't lose search aircraft as much as we used to while looking for other missing aircraft.