Canada finds possible US Air Force plane lost in 1942Canadian underwater archeologists accidentally discovered what they believe to be the wreck of a US Air Force airplane that sank in the Saint Lawrence seaway Saint Lawrence Seaway, international waterway, 2,342 mi (3,769 km) long, consisting of a system of canals, dams, and locks in the St. Lawrence River and connecting channels between the Great Lakes; opened 1959. in 1942, the Parks Canada Parks Canada (now also known as the Parks Canada Agency) is a Government of Canada agency that is mandated to protect and present nationally significant examples of Canada's natural and cultural heritage and foster public understanding, appreciation and enjoyment in ways that divers said Thursday. The divers said in a statement that they were carrying out routine work in an adjacent area when they came across the wreck. It must still be confirmed that it is indeed the lost plane. "This is a very significant discovery," Quebec region Minister Christian Paradis Christian Paradis, PC , MP (born January 1, 1974 in Thetford Mines, Quebec) is the Conservative Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons for Mégantic—L'Érable. said. "This plane is a testament to the collaboration between Canada and the US during the Second World War." The amphibious aircraft Noun 1. amphibious aircraft - an airplane designed to take off and land on water amphibian aeroplane, airplane, plane - an aircraft that has a fixed wing and is powered by propellers or jets; "the flight was delayed due to trouble with the airplane" foundered in rough weather on November 2, 1942, in the waters surrounding what is now the Mingan Archipelago The Mingan Archipelago is an archipelago located east of Quebec, Canada. It consists of a chain of about 40 islands. Starting but 124 miles from the end of the road along the north shore of the St. National Park Reserve in the eastern Gulf of Saint Lawrence Noun 1. Gulf of Saint Lawrence - an arm of the northwest Atlantic Ocean off the southeastern coast of Canada Gulf of St. Lawrence Atlantic, Atlantic Ocean - the 2nd largest ocean; separates North and South America on the west from Europe and Africa on the east . The plane was based at Presqu'Ile, Maine, in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. , and serviced an airfield in the village of Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan, Quebec, about 1,000 kilometers (641 miles) northeast of Montreal. Nine persons were on board when the aircraft went down. Four of the crew escaped the flooding plane and were rescued by local fishermen rowing out from shore in open boats in rough seas. The five others perished, trapped inside. Officials said sonar scans indicate the plane appears to be in good condition and divers hope to recover any remains of the five victims in the coming weeks. "The United States government was extremely interested to learn of the discovery of the wreckage," said David Fetter, Consul General of the United States. In 1941 and 1942, the United States constructed a series of airfields in Eastern Canada to ferry aircraft to Allied air forces in Northern Europe, as part of the so-called "Crimson Route." The construction of the airport in Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan was to serve as an emergency airfield along the ferry route between Presque Isle and Goose Bay, Labrador.
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