Texas Equusearch Reports Finding Missing Plane In Lake Erie

(DICKINSON, TX) - Texas EquuSearch (TES) reported Wednesday that a downed private plane missing since August 26 has been located in Lake Erie off the coast of Dunkirk near the Canadian/American Border. The plane carried University of Edinboro (PA) graduate Lindsey Meyers, boyfriend Kevin Jestead, and 23-year-old pilot, James Regal. New York State Police Sergeants Al Garcia and Karl Bloom located the wreckage after a search of the lake, using coordinates supplied by TES volunteer Ralph Baird. Divers recovered the bodies of the three loved ones over the course of several dives on Tuesday and Wednesday.

At the Regal family's request, TES Founder and Director Tim Miller, Director of Diving Operations Ted Tarver, and TES volunteers Ralph Baird and Doug Pernnod flew to Buffalo, New York September 13 to assist in the search efforts. TES coordinated with members of the US Coast Guard, the NYSP Dive Team, Buffalo PD and Capt. Dick Spoth of Lake Erie Towing to narrow the search area where the plane was thought to have crashed. TES also enlisted the assistance of members of the St. Louis Sheriffs Department Dive Team, as well as members of the Telford Volunteer Diving and Rescue Unit from Hartsville, Pennsylvania.

According to sources close to the couple, Jesteadt, a 2000 graduate of Slippery Rock High School (PA), planned to propose to Myers, 24, as they flew over Niagara Falls. An investigation is pending to determine the cause for the crash. Regal, a flight instructor with more than 4000 flight hours to his credit, was recently notified that he had been promoted as Northwest Airlines' youngest captain in the airline's history.

TES expresses it gratitude to the many companies and individuals who participated in and sponsored the search efforts, without whose help this search would not have been possible.

Sergeants Al Garcia and Karl Bloom - New York State Police Dive Team

Detective Sergeant Kevin Maloney - Buffalo Police Department
Capt. Dick Spoth and Rick Spoth - Lake Erie Towing & Salvage

Lt. Chris Sweeney and CPO Ralph Kring - US Coast Guard - Buffalo Sector

Jeanne Macko - Lake Erie Diving Center, Angola, NY

Ms. Sally Took

Robert Shema - Marion Hill Associates, New Brighton, PA

Under Sheriff Dave Phillips, Capt. Tom Crossmon and Officer Mike Gates -
St. Louis County Sheriff's Volunteer Resuce Squad of Minnesota

Capt. Neil Rivel, Diver Johnny Hartzell and Boat operator Ronnie Minor -
Telford Volunteer Dive & Rescue Unit, Harleyville, PA

Clive Seal, VP of Flight Operations, Ms. Natalie Bloodworth & Ms. Stacey Mumm - PINNACLE Airlines/ Northwest Airlink -

Mr. Joe Hermann, Ms. Jennifer Smith, Ms. Pearl Arnold and Ms. Ashley Gavin Adams Mark Hotel, Buffalo, NY

Mike McDermott - Frank McDermott LTD, Greta Falls, VA,

Buffalo FAA Air Traffic Control - Dave Allen
Buffalo ATC - Air Traffic Manager - Jeff Lynch
Buffalo ATC - Fred Peterson
Buffalo ATC - Darla Ritchie
Buffalo ATC - Automation Specialist John Call

Jim Montgomery, Director of Mainteance, - Executive Air Taxi Corp, Bismark, ND
Brian Edwards - Harvey-Lynch, Inc, Houston, TX
Jack D. Hall - Baird Petrophysical, Houston, TX

Dan Warren, Marine Archaeologist - C & C Technologies, Houston, TX
Tony George - C & C technologies, Lafayette, LA

Dan Bily, Dunkirk, NY (C-172 plane use and pilot)