On Friday, searchers used sophisticated sonar and other electronic gear to identify targets, including what they believed to be one of the plane's propellers. On Saturday, divers from Marion Hill Associates searched the river but were unable to find anything because of poor visibility and debris littering the river bottom.
"Everything was pointing to this was the plane," said Sandie Egley, director of business development at Marion Hill Associates, a New Brighton commercial diving company. "That's why we're so disappointed. We couldn't find that propeller and say with certainty: 'This is from the B-25."'
Bob Shema, the recovery group's operations director, said the search was intended not only to resolve the mystery but also to showcase new technology that can be used for future disaster and search operations.
Mike Folweiler of Patterson Township, one of the divers, said he thought he found one of the wings, but he lost it when he had to backtrack to unsnag his air supply line.
"It's an obstacle course down there," diver Lance Raup said. "You've got to be like within six inches of anything before you can see it."
The search was called off and Shema said he was not sure how the group would proceed in the future.
