When the enemy blew up tunnels through the mountains ringing the lake's northern end, the division's commanders sent soldiers across the lake in amphibious six-wheeled trucks, known by their military designation DUKW and known to GIs as ducks.

On the night of April 30, 1945, three DUKWs left the lake's east side carrying members of the division's 605th Field Artillery. One of the vehicles, jammed with 25 soldiers and a 75 mm cannon, stalled during the journey and soon began taking on water.

According to Cpl. Thomas Hough, the lone survivor, the soldiers desperately tossed their equipment and ammunition overboard in an attempt to keep the vessel from sinking. But the DUKW went down anyway, plunging the men into the frigid waters of the glacier-fed lake.



The group said it plans to resume efforts to locate remains and recover the DUKW, possibly later this year or in early 2014.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/09/09/wwii-vets-hope-wreckage-found-in-italy-lake-will-yield-remains-2-dozen-american/?test=latestnews

I wouldn't think it possible to recover the remains of the soldiers unless they stayed in the vehicle.