3rd plane victim found

PROVO — Six minutes after beginning the day's search, crews on Tuesday found the body of the third man who died in Thursday's plane crash in Utah Lake.

The body of Ray Hooper, 35, of Mapleton, was found at 9:09 a.m., right after a side-scan sonar boat was launched into the same area where the bodies of Blaine Pugmire, 32, of Springville, and Harold "Les" McGuire, 35, of Alpine, were found the day before.

That same "area of interest" — about one mile west of the Provo Boat Harbor and Utah Lake State Park — also yielded the instrument panel and the engine late Monday night. Those pieces will be crucial to the investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration.

Both organizations are still looking into the cause of the crash.

The three men were returning from a conference in St. George when their small plane went down during its final descent to the Provo Municipal Airport, which sits alongside the lake. Strong wind and intermittent rain are thought to be major factors in the crash.

After spending nearly 3,000 man-hours and thousands of dollars on gasoline for watercraft in the five-day search, the rescue crews were grateful that Tuesday's search ended quickly and brought needed closure to all the families, said Utah County Sheriff's Sgt. Dennis Harris.

"This turned out to be dynamite for us," Harris said. "Now we call this mission accomplished."

Harris said some divers talked about finding the bodies when the search crews met with family members.

"I don't think there was a dry eye in the place," Harris said. "The family members even gave rescue teams a standing ovation."

Two giant posters were taped to the sheriff's mobile command center vehicle. They read, "We appreciate all you're doing" and "Thank you for your efforts," and were accompanied by lengthy notes of appreciation and signatures from grateful friends and family members.

"The search and rescue teams treated this as if these men were their own," said Rex Pugmire, Blaine Pugmire's uncle. "We only hope those involved understand our gratitude."

The families of the three men stayed close to each other during the five-day "roller-coaster of emotions," waiting for news, Rex Pugmire said.

"We've grown to love one another," he said.

Harris said the search teams have also bonded with family members, creating what he called "lifelong friendships."

Co-workers of McGuire and Hooper at Producer Revolution posted a note on the company's Web site in admiration of their fallen co-workers. The company's aim is to teach people financial principles to enable them to lead happy, productive lives.

"Goodbye, dear friends," it reads. "We celebrate the lives and contributions of Blaine Pugmire, Ray Hooper, and Les McGuire. More than ever, we are committed to bringing the Producer Revolution to the world, in honor of these heroes."

The three bodies were sent to the State Medical Examiner for autopsies.

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