All passengers were found to have survived, including four teens who were onboard a plane that crashed off North Carolina’s coast on Sunday.
The Coast Guard declared that it had suspended the search Tuesday and would continue working with local partners in ongoing recovery operations.
Capt. Matt Baer, sector commander, Sector North Carolina.
The Carteret County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday that all remains of the other passengers were recovered. Two of the passengers have been identified and will be handed over to their families.
According to the Coast Guard, eight people were aboard the single-engine Pilatus PC-12 airplane that crashed just 4 miles east from Drum Inlet on Sunday at 2:20 p.m.
The identities of eight people believed to have been aboard the plane were released by the sheriff’s Office. Three 15-year olds and one 16 year-old were among them.
Authorities said that all of the passengers were North Carolina residents and were returning from a hunting trip in Hyde County, Beaufort, when the plane crashed.
Stephanie Ann McInnis Fulcher (42), Jonathan Kole McInnis (15), and Douglas Hunter Parks (45) were among the passengers. Buddy Goodwin, Fulcher’s brother in law, said Monday to NBC News that McInnis was Fulcher’s son and Parks her fiance.
Noah Lee Styron (15), Michael Daily Shepard (15) and Jacob Nolan Taylor (16) were the other teens on board.
Ernest Durwood Rawls (67), who was said to have been the pilot of the plane, is also believed to be on the flight.
According to authorities, Jeffrey Worthington Rawls (28), was also believed to be on the flight.
In a Tuesday statement, the Carteret County Public School System stated that the incident had affected a number its schools.
The statement stated that it was confirmed that four students at East Carteret High School were among the victims of the crash. “School counselors, school psychologists and school crisis team members responded from all schools to support students, families, and staff in the affected schools.”
It stated that the Carteret County Public System continued to show its deepest sympathy, support, and concern for all those affected by the tragic incident.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAR) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are currently investigating the incident.
