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rough sea where he was badly battered about before being towed into San Pedro Harbor. Charles Day directed search operations all along the coast.

On the 16th, a portion of Kearney's pontoon was found near Redondo Beach and identified by Day as being from the missing hydroplane. On the 18th more of the wreckage and some of their clothing was found and identified, then their bodies were found on December 20th some distance apart near Rocky Point, California. The mystery of what happened was never solved.

The flight should never have been undertaken. Always over-confident, Kearney had very little hydro-flying experience and there was a 30 mph wind with heavy seas that kept motor boats ashore. Kearney's remains were returned to Kansas City, Missouri, where he was buried in Mount Washington Cemetery. He was not married and was survived by his mother. Lawrence was buried on Ontario, California. 

Flying Pioneer Horace F. Kearney was an active, hard working, self-taught early aviator whose pioneering accomplishments came to an untimely end. After a long hard struggle to get started in aviation he rapidly rose to the top of the exhibition men of his era, and by an error of judgment joined so many of his flying associates who gave their lives in their quest for aerial adventure.