By Josh Hanrahan For Daily Mail Australia and Australian Associated Press
Published: 07:40 BST, 6 June 2019 | Updated: 08:22 BST, 6 June 2019
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The pet dog of a pilot killed when his light plane crashed in Queensland sits patiently waiting at the front gate of his property - unaware his master will never come home.
Marcel Van Hattem, 52, and his 31-year-old female passenger had been missing since the Yak-52 plane they were flying in was last seen on Wednesday morning.
Rescue crews found Mr Van Hattem's body late on Thursday afternoon, while outside his Gold Coast property his heartbroken German Shepherd awaited his arrival home like usual.
Dutch-born Hattem was taking the mother-of-one on a joy ride above the Gold Coast on Wednesday to celebrate the woman's upcoming birthday.
But at some point after 10.30am the aircraft lost contact with ground crews, before a rescue team found debris matching the plane on South Stradbroke Island at 5.30pm.
The pet dog of missing pilot Marcel Van Hattem sits at the front gate to his Gold Coast property waiting for his master to come home (pictured). Mr Van Hattem's body was found on
