Divers recover body from Essex reservoir after plane crash

A man's body has been recovered from an Essex reservoir after a small private plane crashed into the water.

Divers recovered the remains of the unnamed victim from the Hanningfield Reservoir on Tuesday, following desperate search efforts late into Monday night.

The victim is believed to have been the only passenger of the aircraft, which crashed on Sunday afternoon after taking an erratic path over Essex, according to flight data.

Essex Police said there are no suspicious circumstances and a file is being prepared for the coroner. Authorities have not shared any information about the casualty.

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The three-seater private aircraft, a Beagle B121 Pup, had left North Weald Airfield just before 12pm on Sunday and was bound for Southend Airport, before it crashed into the reservoir shortly after 2pm.

Flight data shows the plane was in the air for one hour and 23 minutes before the crash.

Chief Superintendent Waheed Khan said: "I would firstly like to recognise that someone has lost their life in tragic circumstances. Our thoughts remain with everyone affected by this incident.

"Work to formally identify this man will be undertaken sensitively with HM Coroner, and it is not right that we officially confirm his identity until this procedure is followed.”

Essex Police worked with the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) to find the aircraft through Monday evening and into Tuesday with sonar equipment and diving teams.

Police have since concluded their searches, believing the body belongs to the sole occupant of the plane.

Flowers have since appeared around the edge of the site in tribute.

Essex Wildlife Trust, which manages a nature reserve at the site, said the reservoir would stay closed pending police investigations.

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Essex and Suffolk Water assured that the incident has not impacted the supply of water to customers.

A spokesperson said: "Essex and Suffolk water teams are managing the reservoir carefully to ensure that water quality and ecology are protected."

Police are asking anyone with information, CCTV, dash cam or other footage in relation to the incident to get in touch online, quoting incident 552 of 28 December.