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Divers explore and retrieve in Quesnel Lake

Gary and Penny McAninch of GP Recover services are out in the Horsefly/Quesnel Lake area doing some underwater work for Elysia Resort as well as scouting the area for sunken timbers
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Gary and Penny McAninch work on retrieving sunken objects in Quesnel Lake.

Gary and Penny McAninch of GP Recover services are out in the Horsefly/Quesnel Lake area doing some underwater work for Elysia Resort as well as scouting the area for sunken timbers.

The couple specializes in search and recovery of drowning victims, aircraft, and boats, and work with RCMP using their ROV (remote operating vehicle), and their side scan sonar devices.

They can detect metal so they are often used to recover vehicles or aircraft that are submerged.

They are often used to find lost keys and jewelry as well as property pins, pipe work, underground cables, lost tools or any ferrous or non-ferrous metal.

Their services can help law enforcement, insurance agencies, companies and individuals by locating, documenting and recovering forensic evidence.

They have done searches with ICBC and the Ministry of Environment when recovering vehicles and aircraft submerged in lakes, and also do dam inspections, inspections for oil and gas, mining, ranching and municipal water reservoirs.

Sometimes they are hired to recover fishing rods and boat engines. One of their projects this summer will be to search and recover salvage logs under the water in Quesnel Lake.

Last year their ROV located a 1942 DeHavilland Tiger Moth that disappeared in Azure Lake near Clearwater in 1947.

They found the aircraft at the bottom of the lake, in perfect condition. Even the fuel gage is undamaged. B.C. Aviation Museum in Victoria is currently on tract to receive the aircraft for restoration work.

“Digital video on DVD and professionally prepared reports are part of our services” McAninch says. “We use state-of-the-art equipment and combine this with field experience to supply proven results.”

The couple has been working out of 70 Mile House, but are now looking to relocate to Horsefly. You may see their refurbished ambulance with GP Recover Services printed on the side.

Their business got started through the Community Futures program in Williams Lake.