Nearly 60 years after a Canadian naval pilot vanished off the coast of Florida, clues about what happened washed ashore.
On Feb. 25, 1958, Lt. Barry Troy, 29, took off in a F2H-3 Banshee jet to train with the U.S. military, but the New Brunswick native was reported overdue.
鈥淗e took off on a flight from the aircraft carrier and what we were told was that within a few minutes contact was lost and he never returned to the carrier,鈥� Troy鈥檚 younger sister Sandra Berry told CTV Ottawa, adding that the weather was reportedly bad that day.
While officially says Troy was lost at sea off the coast of Mayport, Florida, the only evidence the U.S. Navy could find of a crash after two weeks of searching were a helmet, log book and a few small pieces of metal.
Since then, Troy's family has been left with unanswered questions.
Now, 59 years later, a Florida park ranger made a historic discovery that is finally shedding some light on the mysterious disappearance.
Pieces of parachute rigging, unidentified metal and a parachute harness embroidered with the markings 鈥淟t. (P) Troy鈥� washed ashore at Florida鈥檚 Hanna Park on Sept. 22.
"We happened to find this ball of stuff on the high water line. I know I drove past it at least five times. Other rangers say they drove past it, too," ranger Zack Johnson said in an interview with , a local news agency that first reported the story.
Johnson speculates the items were buried under sand dunes for decades and it was the latest hurricane season that uncovered them.
News4JAX later reached out to Troy鈥檚 family and informed them of what had been found.
鈥淚t just brought home all the emotions back to the surface, living through that again and thinking about how it must have been for him,鈥� said Berry.
Despite the difficult situation, Berry is glad to have received the latest news.
"Thank God for the person who discovered it was good enough to do something about it and to follow through and that the media in Florida was able to contact my brother in California," said Berry.
"If they had just not cared we could still be in the dark," she added.
There鈥檚 also speculation that more artifacts will be uncovered. Officials in Florida say the plane might be hidden nearby.
Troy鈥檚 family is hopeful that more of his possessions will make their way back to them.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not closure but to have that artifact with his name on it, it鈥檚 almost like a piece of him that we are getting back,鈥� said Troy鈥檚 niece Sharon Troy.
The family is currently in contact with the Jacksonville, Florida sheriff鈥檚 department and they are working to get the parachute with Troy鈥檚 name on it back.
With files from CTV Ottawa鈥檚 Annie Bergeron-Oliver
