A hunter was walking through the woods near Juneau when he came across the site of a tragedy. Tangled in the impossibly thick southeast rainforest lay an airplane that had fallen from the sky, presumably during a legendary southeastern Alaska storm. Although just a mile and a half from the last known location, the missing plane was buried in the forest canopy and wasn’t visible from the air. In 2008, an exhaustive 10-Day search over 1000 square miles was conducted with no sign of a crash. The family of the passengers had no idea where their loved ones were…until recently.

A father and his two adult sons went to Admiralty Island near Juneau for a camping trip. They were ready to come home when they realized they had too much gear for one trip with all three people.

Eric Heath | Flickr

The plane was a Cessna 182. They all three departed and headed to Juneau where one got out and the other two returned for the gear.

Jeroen Stroes Photography | Flickr

Brian and Brandon Andrews returned to the camp site to retrieve the gear and were never seen again.

Alan Wilson | Flickr

The plane vanished on August 9, 2008. When they didn’t return, a search effort was organized immediately and for 10 days the Coast Guard and other organizations searched tirelessly for any sign of the plane.

Joseph | Flickr

Nine years later, in late October 2017, a hunter stumbled across the crash site and the remains of the passengers. It was determined that the site was not visible from the air to the rescuers.

Nathanael Coyne | Flickr

The victims were Brian Andrews, 56, and his son Brandon Andrews, 24. Brian Andrews was the deputy commissioner for the Alaska Department of Revenue at the time of his death.

Nathanael Coyne| Flickr

The discovery brings closure to the family of the missing persons. Technologies have been improving since 2008 and aircraft emergency signal requirements and photo reconnaissance are helping rescuers find more people than ever.

Joseph | Flickr

You may want to check out This Tiny Town In Alaska Has A Dark And Evil History That Is Impossible To Forget or you may like this one: There’s A Bermuda Triangle In Alaska And It Will Baffle You Beyond Words.

Eric Heath | Flickr

Jeroen Stroes Photography | Flickr

Alan Wilson | Flickr

Joseph | Flickr

Nathanael Coyne | Flickr

Nathanael Coyne| Flickr

Do you know anything else about the case? Have you been to the rainforest near Juneau? Tell us about it in the comments below.

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