JFK Jr and Carolyn Bessette plane wreck injuries so horrific they were redacted from the official report… until now: Navy diver reveals for first time how her iconic beauty was unspeakably ruined – and the part of Kennedy lost at sea

John F Kennedy Jr, his wife Carolyn Bessette and her sister Lauren died when their plane crashed into the Atlantic off Martha’s Vineyard in July 1999. A retired Coast Guard commander’s account of the recovery operation describes the work of Coast Guard, NOAA and Navy teams, and the care taken to recover all three passengers together.

The wreckage lay 116 feet underwater, where poor visibility and shifting silt made the divers’ task difficult. The account says Kennedy’s legs were missing when his remains were found, while the Bessette sisters’ bodies were intact but badly damaged; an NTSB witness later said they were not recognisable by their faces. The recovery took place over a five-day search and rescue mission.