He left the Kennedy family compound in Hyannisport, on Cape Cod, aboard a Coast Guard helicopter that took him to Martha's Vineyard. The senator completed the journey aboard a Coast Guard vessel. Once the body is recovered and brought to shore, an autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death. An NTSB source told CNN that Kennedy's body was found nearby about two hours later. Sen. Edward Kennedy is taken by a Coast Guard helicopter to the scene where John Kennedy Jr.'s body was found The ocean depth in that area of the Atlantic Ocean is about 115 feet.
Visibility is only about six to eight feet.
The water temperature is about 52 degrees Fahrenheit. Dives are limited to about 15 minutes. Plans call for any body or bodies taken from the water to be brought to the surface before any of pieces of the plane are lifted onto the Grasp. Wreckage was to be taken to a hangar at Otis Air National Guard Base on Cape Cod, which is being used as a command base for the search and recovery operation. The families of the victims also were informed quickly.