It’s been known for 15 years exactly where a B-25C bomber rested on the bottom of Lake Murray, 150 feet deep, and finally, about 9 o’clock Monday night, a crane lifted it to the surface, as hundreds watched from shore. The operation had taken 10 years of planning and about a week of work at the South Carolina site by a team of several dozen people. The bomber ditched during a training mission on April 4, 1943, but the crew escaped safely. Monday night, the workers drained water and about 800 gallons of fuel from the wreck and then lowered it into a cradle. Over the rest of this week, the airplane will be taken apart, and then it will be shipped to the Southern Museum of Flight, in Birmingham, Ala., for restoration. Eventually it will become the centerpiece of a new wing at the museum. It’s said to be one of the oldest B-25 bombers in existence. On Tuesday, crews found five machine guns and a World War II bomber jacket at the site. Bob Siegler, leader of the recovery expedition, said more dives will continue to search for a propeller and other artifacts. The right engine was separated from the airframe and its location is unknown.
