Tourist attractions in Suchitoto have their origins in an airplane accident in which three military personnel lost their lives.

Tribute. The crosses are a tribute to the three crew members who died when the Air Force plane crashed into the lake in 2014.

The three crosses that float on Suchitlán Lake, in Suchitoto, Cuscatlán, have become a tourist attraction in the area visited by many people who want to learn its history. The crosses commemorate the tragic airplane accident in which three Salvadoran Air Force pilots lost their lives in 2014.

The accident occurred on Wednesday, October 1st, when the Piper PA-23-250 "AZTEC F" aircraft experienced malfunctions while carrying out a scheduled maintenance flight over Suchitlán Lake, near the islands of El Ermitaño and Los Tercios.

According to local boatmen and fishermen, the accident claimed the lives of Lieutenant Colonel José Roberto Corleto Andrade, who was the pilot; Sergeant José Armando Roque Mulato, and aviation mechanic Sergio Luis Funes Amaya. Another military personnel survived.

They stated that the crosses were placed by a local fisherman to honor the memory of the military personnel and that they are arranged according to their military rank.

Manuel Menjívar, a boatman and witness to the accident, commented that he and other boat owners pulled the aircraft out of the water and ferried it to El Ermitaño island, where it was inspected by Air Force personnel. After verifying its condition, they left it there, and they moved it to a rocky outcrop on the island, where it is exhibited.

People who want to see the airplane up close must climb a several-meter ladder.

"When the accident happened, the divers left a buoy where the airplane fell; a fisherman named Nelson Reyes decided to place the crosses, which are made of PVC; then all the boatmen joined in, we are a group of 25 people, and we pulled out the airplane. To remove it, we used a ferry, several boats, chains, hoists, and we took it to the shore, where the military personnel inspected it, and in the end, the airplane remained with us," Menjívar recalled.

Currently, local boatmen and fishermen offer tours of the lake and visits to El Ermitaño island to observe the aircraft and learn the history behind the floating crosses. On the island, there are also some craft stalls where tourists can take home a souvenir of the place.

"I liked the story, and you can appreciate the dedication that the boatmen have had in setting up the scene in a very beautiful place. It's worth paying for the trip," said Antonio Bonilla, a tourist.

Tours to the crosses and El Ermitaño island cost approximately $25 for a 50-minute tour, but people who only want to observe the location of the airplane from the boat can do so for $20. This initiative by locals has contributed to promoting tourism and turning what was once a tragedy into something positive.

"It's a unique tourist destination with a unique and captivating history," Bonilla stated."