SAVANNAH, GA (WTOC) -
A body was located at about 1:30 p.m. Monday from a plane that crashed in marsh in southwest Chatham County.
The FAA and NTSB confirmed that one person was on board the single-engine, 1968 Cessna 172 aircraft that crashed in the marsh Sunday night.
Divers are working the scene where the aircraft was found near Grove Point Road.
The plane had been flying to Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport from North Carolina on Sunday when it went missing. Officials say the last contact with the plane was at 6:55 p.m. Sunday when it was cleared for landing. After that, the plane did not land and was never heard from again.
That is when a massive search began. A staging area for the search has been set up at Bells Landing on Apache Avenue. Savannah-Chatham Metro Police said the site of the wreckage is difficult to reach by boat so they are bringing the divers in by helicopter.
Police used their Eagle One helicopter to look for the plane over Middle Marsh Island which sits between Georgetown and the Coffee Bluff area.
Police said that four divers are there now looking through this wreckage. Two boats are also part of the effort.
An officer told WTOC someone near the Coffee Bluff Marina reported seeing a plane "dramatically losing altitude" about the same time it disappeared from radar.
Coast Guard crews from Hunter Army Air Field, Tybee Island and Charleston were searching the waters for the plane. The wreckage was located at about 1 a.m. Monday in the marsh area near Grove Point by the Coast Guard.
There is no confirmation yet on how many people were in the plane. There is no word yet on what caused the plane to crash.
Officials know who the plane is registered to, but WTOC is waiting for the Federal Aviation Administration to confirm the information.
Check WTOC.com for the latest updates.
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Search and rescue efforts continue Monday. Officers gather on Apache Ave. at Bells Landing.
