VENICE, Fla. — Police in Florida are investigating after a small aircraft crash claimed the lives of four Hoosiers.
According to authorities, a Piper PA-32R-300 aircraft carrying Rick Beaver (60) and Bethe Beaver (57) of Noblesville and Patricia Lumpkin (68) and William Lumpkin (64) of Fishers crashed just after 9:30 p.m. Wednesday.
The plane reportedly left St. Petersburg, Florida around 5 p.m. and flew to Venice, Florida. Around 9:35 p.m. the plane left Venice back to St. Petersburg.
Shortly after takeoff from Venice, the plane crashed.
According to authorities, the single-engine plane was operated by William.
Rick and William, who went by Jeff, were found together Wednesday evening.
On Thursday, Bethe and Patty were found with the wreckage near the Venice Fishing Pier.
The four individuals left a great impact on their community.
Bethe was the founder and owner of Indiana Elite Cheer and Tumbling in Noblesville.
Cheerleaders remembered Bethe with a memorial outside of the facility Thursday night. They left flowers and hung posters that stated what Bethe meant to them.
Jeff and Patty impacted the lives of those who attended church with them at Life Church.
“You never know exactly how much time is left for you,” Nathan Peternel, the lead pastor at Life Church, said. “But if I was going to live my life not knowing when my last day was going to be, if I was living it like Jeff and Patty, I’d be living it with a lot of purpose.”
Peternel met Jeff through the church. The two went to breakfast together one morning where Jeff talked more about his passion for leadership and flying.
“I knew him through his love for flying,” Peternel said. “He ended up becoming a mentor in my son’s life, and anybody who reaches out to your son has your heart. My son is in the military. He wants to be a pilot, so Jeff began to mentor him towards learning what to do and the order of things.”
WFTS in Tampa assisted WRTV in this report.
-
Indiana Fever’s Commissioner's Cup win fuels $23K gift to Peace Learning Center
The Indiana Fever’s recent victory in the WNBA’s Commissioner's Cup wasn’t just about points on the scoreboard.
Caitlin Clark ruled out for July 3 matchup against Las Vegas Aces
Indiana Fever star guard Caitlin Clark will be sidelined once again after she was ruled out on Wednesday, according to the Indiana Fever.
Weather Outlook: We're going to need plenty of ways to keep cool in July
It's a brand-new month, and it's time to look ahead to what kind of weather pattern we can expect in July.
ISP, advocates share advice for safe roads for the Fourth of July
As Hoosiers prepare to kick back and enjoy getting from point A to point B, safety is top priority.
