JFK Jr.’s was Body Nearly Lost Forever

John F. Kennedy Jr.’s body might never have been recovered from the Atlantic Ocean if search crews had waited just one more day, according to a chilling new account of the tragedy that stunned America more than 27 years ago.

The son of President John F. Kennedy was discovered 116 feet beneath the ocean’s surface in July 1999, just as exhausted officials were discussing how to bring one of the largest maritime searches in U.S. history to an end.

Now, the Coast Guard captain who helped lead that extraordinary operation is revealing just how close the Kennedy family came to never having their loved one brought home.

Retired Capt. W. Russell “Russ” Webster, who oversaw search operations, told the New York Post that powerful ocean currents could have carried Kennedy’s body away from the wreckage before rescuers located him.

The disturbing possibility is detailed in his new book, The Last Flight: The Untold Story of the Search for JFK Jr. and the Race Against the Atlantic, co-written with his wife, maritime historian Theresa Mitchell Webster.

Kennedy, 38, disappeared on the evening of July 16, 1999, while piloting his private Piper Saratoga from New Jersey to Martha’s Vineyard. His wife, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, 33, and her sister Lauren Bessette, 34, were traveling with him to attend his cousin Rory Kennedy’s wedding.

What should have been a routine family trip instead became another heartbreaking chapter in the Kennedy family’s history.

When the plane failed to arrive, an enormous search operation unfolded across the Atlantic. Military aircraft, Coast Guard vessels, Navy divers and sophisticated underwater equipment were deployed as Americans anxiously followed every development.

But the days passed without answers.

By the fourth day, officials had begun discussing an exit strategy as the exhausting search continued to produce little progress. Then came the breakthrough everyone had been waiting for.

Late on July 20, an underwater camera helped locate the wreckage approximately seven miles southwest of Martha’s Vineyard.

According to the Websters’ account, a Navy diving official later recalled seeing Kennedy’s body roughly 10 feet from the shattered aircraft, while Carolyn and Lauren were found within the wreckage. Some reports published in 1999 described Kennedy’s position differently, placing him inside the cockpit.

The discovery was especially significant because ocean currents threatened to complicate the recovery. Webster warned that another day could have made finding Kennedy considerably more difficult.

On July 21, Navy divers recovered all three victims, finally bringing the five-day ordeal to an end.

The mission involved thousands of personnel from numerous government agencies, with Webster estimating its cost at as much as $5 million.

Behind the extraordinary rescue effort was an equally heartbreaking scene unfolding within the Kennedy family.

Theresa Webster recalled an account from a family acquaintance who visited Sen. Ted Kennedy’s home shortly after the disappearance. Inside, John Jr.’s suit was reportedly hanging freshly pressed in the laundry room, waiting for a wedding he would never attend.

The new book also describes how Ted Kennedy wanted all three victims recovered together, rather than having his famous nephew receive special treatment.

The tragedy’s cause would eventually become clearer through the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation.

Kennedy had approximately 310 hours of flying experience but had not completed the training required for an instrument rating. Although he had flown to the Martha’s Vineyard area numerous times, the conditions that evening presented a particularly dangerous challenge.

Haze and darkness made it difficult to distinguish the horizon over the ocean, potentially leaving Kennedy unable to accurately judge the aircraft’s position.

Investigators determined that the plane’s final descent exceeded 4,700 feet per minute before it struck the water. The NTSB ultimately concluded that Kennedy lost control because of spatial disorientation, with the dark night and haze contributing to the accident. Investigators found no evidence of a mechanical malfunction before impact.

The Websters spent approximately 15 years researching their book, drawing on government records and dozens of interviews with people involved in the historic operation.

Their research also uncovered some of the bizarre rumors that circulated during the desperate search, including claims that Kennedy was secretly communicating through an AOL chat room. Another organization reportedly contacted officials claiming it had determined the passengers’ fate by examining their supposed magnetic auras.

While such stories reflected the confusion surrounding the disappearance, the reality was far more tragic.

On July 22, 1999, the remains of Kennedy, Carolyn and Lauren were laid to rest at sea during a private ceremony attended by their grieving families.

More than a quarter-century later, the newly published account offers a haunting reminder of how narrowly the recovery mission succeeded — and how close one of America’s most famous families came to facing an even more painful uncertainty.