First pics of two couples killed in horror plane crash after it plunged into sea
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The four victims of a Florida plane crash that killed two married couples have been named and pictured, as tributes from heartbroken people pour in to mourn their passing.
William "Jeff" Lumpkin, 64, Patricia "Patty" Lumpkin, 68, Ricky Beaver, 60, and Elizabeth "Bethe" Beaver, 57, were all killed after a plane they were all in crashed into the sea shortly after taking off from Venice Airport in western Florida.
Police were made aware of the crash at around 9:30pm local time yesterday (April 5), with emergency services conducting a search of the area for the four, who are understood to have come from the state of Indiana.
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The four were understood to have been flying back from having dinner with friends in Venice.
Shortly after they took off from Venice Airport their plane crashed about half a mile offshore.
Witnesses saw the aircraft hit the water from the pier and alerted emergency services.
It is understood that William, an associate director at aerospace firm Raytheon, was flying a Piper PA-32R when it went down.
Patricia, a local realtor at Carpenter Realtors, previously commented on a Facebook photo of her and her husband on their plane: "Jeff’s a long time pilot".
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Elizabeth Beaver was a founder of the Indiana Elite All Star Cheer & Dance, a cheer squad based in Noblesville, Indiana.
One heartbroken tribute posted on Facebook read: "Heartbroken doesn’t even describe how I’m feeling. The world lost an amazing woman who has touched thousands of lives. I am blessed to have known you, Bethe Horine Beaver."
Ricky Lumpkin's daughter posted a short tribute to her dad to Facebook, writing: "Dad, Patty, Rick, and Bethe will be missed."
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Venice Police Department said that rescue crews found the bodies of William and Ricky on Wednesday night, alongside debris from the crash
Earlier today, search and rescue teams located the bodies of Patricia Lumpkin and Elizabeth Beaver, as well as the main body of the plane.
The Federal Aviation Authority and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are both investigating the crash.
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