ST. GEORGE — A plane crash near New Harmony on Wednesday has left one person dead.
Washington County Dispatch received a report Wednesday at approximately 8:30 p.m. that a small-engine aircraft that had flown out of St. George at around 2:30 p.m. had not reached its destination, according to a news release issued by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
The plane’s last known GPS location was in a remote area north of New Harmony and south of the border between Iron and Washington counties. Deputies from the Washington County and Iron County Sheriff’s Offices, with the assistance of a Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter, initiated a search and rescue operation but could not locate the crash or its occupant.
The helicopter was grounded later in the evening due to adverse weather conditions and low visibility, Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Cameron Roden told St. George News.
The search began anew on Thursday as deputies, the helicopter pilot and members of the Washington County Search and Rescue Team returned to the area, the release states. They located the plane and notified local and federal investigators, who responded to the site. The body of the aircraft’s lone occupant was recovered.
The identity of the person who died in the crash has not yet been released at the request of their family, according to the release.
The crash is currently under investigation.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office thanked those involved in the response.
“We are grateful for the successful multi-agency collaboration in locating the crash site and recovering the pilot, including the New Harmony Fire Department for providing the fire station to host the command center for this operation,” the release states.
This is a developing story.
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