Body found in Utah Lake

PROVO — Searchers on Monday recovered the body of the pilot whose plane crashed in Utah Lake during a storm last week.

Blaine Pugmire of Springville, who would have turned 32 Monday, was flying two other men in the singe-engine turboprop when it crashed late Thursday while on its final approach for landing at the Provo Municipal Airport, which is just east of the lake.

Utah County sheriff's Lt. Darren Gilbert said a pilot searching from the air Monday spotted what appeared to be an oil slick on the lake's surface Monday. A personal watercraft was dispatched and after determining it was a petroleum product on the water, a state Department of Public Safety boat searched the area with sonar.

The body was found about a mile west of shore around 10:30 a.m.

Sheriff's Sgt. Dennis Harris said Pugmire's body was located by sonar and the wave action as the boat circled back to the site brought it closer to the surface. The sheriff's office withheld the name until Pugmire's family was notified.

"It was mixed feelings. Happy and very sad at the same time," Harris said. "This has been a very trying and difficult time for them."

Still missing were passengers Harold "Les" McGuire, 35, of Highland and Ray Hooper, 35, of Mapleton.

The search effort was initially delayed by the stormy weather Friday. Strong winds and waves caused several more delays over the weekend. Searchers were also hampered by the lake's silty water, which is too murky to see through.