The wreckage of a small plane that crashed into Lac Simon north of Gatineau is on land after spending 50 years under water.

The Seabee plane went missing with four hunters on board near Lac Simon in west Quebec on November 21, 1957.

For half a century, the location of the plane remained a mystery until an amateur diver discovered the aircraft late last year.

"Today is the conclusion of a long quest," diver Guy Morin told CTV Ottawa.

Police have been working since Monday to retrieve the rusted aircraft and the remains of the men who were thought to be on board.

"I was curious," said Gerard Gervais, whose brother-in-law was among those thought to be travelling on the plane when it went down.

Gervais says he's been waiting for answers about the plane's mysterious disappearance since it went missing.

The recovery effort -- which involved dragging the plane with a barge underwater to dry land -- is one of the largest diving operations Quebec Provincial Police have ever conducted.

Along with the wreckage, police worked to recover the remains of two bodies near the site. Whether the third and fourth bodies were retrieved from the plane's cabin will be determined through forensic analysis in Montreal.

With a report from CTV Ottawa's John Hua