French rescue teams have recovered the final two bodies from the wreckage of a Cessna 172 aircraft that crashed in the mountains of La Plaine last month, RCI Martinique reported Wednesday.
The French High Mountain Gendarmerie Platoon conducted the difficult recovery operation at an altitude of 750 meters, where the aircraft wreckage hung precariously on a rocky ridge, supported only by vegetation.
The recovery marks the end of a challenging rescue operation that began after the plane crashed on January 26 while departing Douglas-Charles Airport for Martinique. The first two victims were retrieved in early February.
The bodies have been transferred to local authorities for medico-legal processing before being returned to their families, according to RCI Martinique.
Search teams located the wreckage a day after the crash on a mountaintop in La Plaine, on the island’s southeast coast. The aircraft’s position and unstable condition complicated recovery efforts. French authorities have launched a judicial investigation into involuntary manslaughter against Dominica.