Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
On 16 July 1999, John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, and her sister Lauren Bessette vanished while flying in Kennedy Jr’s plane from New Jersey to Martha’s Vineyard to attend a family wedding. Over the following week, the US Coast Guard, Navy, and local authorities engaged in an intensive search, scouring the waters off the coast for signs of life. ITN covered the unfolding search closely, reporting on a story that drew widespread international interest. This is how it was reported.
Produced by Karimah Bangura.
00:00 Introduction
01:17 How their disappearance was reported
03:30 Day two of the search
03:50 Beachgoers recover belongings of Lauren Bessette
05:01 Rescue effort turns into recovery mission
06:51 Radio reports John F. Kennedy Jr. is presumed dead
11:10 Plane’s wreckage and bodies of all three passengers located
12:56 Private memorial held for Kennedy Jr and Bessette sisters
14:26 Outro
#jfkjr #johnfkennedy #carolynbessette #johnfkennedyjr #laurenbessette #marthasvineyard #lovestory #kennedyfamily #usnavy #archivefootage #1999
To search the ITN Archive collection on Getty Images, follow the link below:
gettyimages.co.uk/footage/itn
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On 16 July 1999, John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, and her sister Lauren Bessette vanished while flying in Kennedy Jr’s plane from New Jersey to Martha’s Vineyard to attend a family wedding. Over the following week, the US Coast Guard, Navy, and local authorities engaged in an intensive search, scouring the waters off the coast for signs of life. ITN covered the unfolding search closely, reporting on a story that drew widespread international interest. This is how it was reported.
Produced by Karimah Bangura.
00:00 Introduction
01:17 How their disappearance was reported
03:30 Day two of the search
03:50 Beachgoers recover belongings of Lauren Bessette
05:01 Rescue effort turns into recovery mission
06:51 Radio reports John F. Kennedy Jr. is presumed dead
11:10 Plane’s wreckage and bodies of all three passengers located
12:56 Private memorial held for Kennedy Jr and Bessette sisters
14:26 Outro
#jfkjr #johnfkennedy #carolynbessette #johnfkennedyjr #laurenbessette #marthasvineyard #lovestory #kennedyfamily #usnavy #archivefootage #1999
To search the ITN Archive collection on Getty Images, follow the link below:
gettyimages.co.uk/footage/itn
🎥 Subscribe to our YouTube channel (tap the bell icon and stay up to date with all the latest ITN Archive videos!) - youtube.com/@FrontlinebyITN
🎥 Follow us on Twitter - twitter.com/ITNArchive
🎥 Like us on Facebook - facebook.com/ITNArchiveITNP
🎥 Check out our TikTok - tiktok.com/@itnarchive1955
