Four killed after small planes crash mid-air over Lake Hartridge

on board two planes that crashed into each other in midair today in winter Haven. We have breaking news here at 10 o'clock in the last few minutes, we have learned now that four people are confirmed dead from this midair collision. Sky Fox flew over Lake Hartridge today during our breaking news coverage in our early evening newscast. And you saw one of the planes there partially submerged. The other one is underwater. It's a little more than 20 ft deep there. Fox 13's Aaron Mesmer is live in Winter Haven tonight and Aaron, I just heard this new information, but it on board two planes that crashed into each other in midair today in winter Haven.

We have breaking news here at 10 o'clock in the last few minutes, we have learned now that four people are confirmed dead from this midair collision. Sky Fox flew over Lake Hartridge today during our breaking news coverage in our early evening newscast. And you saw one of the planes there partially submerged. The other one is underwater. It's a little more than 20 ft deep there. Fox 13's Aaron Mesmer is live in Winter Haven tonight and Aaron, I just heard this new information, but it was a little bit of a mess. It was a little bit of a mess.

But it's a little bit of a mess. I mean, I just heard this new information about the planes involved and at least the four confirmed dead. Do we know if anyone else is missing? What else do we know? We know exactly what you just said there, Mark. Four people are now confirmed dead at this point. Investigators have been searching the waters here at Lake Hartridge all day long year. Well, since this happened at around 2 to 30 this afternoon, so that is the very latest at this point. A couple of hours ago, we found out some information about the was a little bit of a mess.

It was a little bit of a mess. But it's a little bit of a mess. I mean, I just heard this new information about the planes involved and at least the four confirmed dead. Do we know if anyone else is missing? What else do we know? We know exactly what you just said there, Mark. Four people are now confirmed dead at this point. Investigators have been searching the waters here at Lake Hartridge all day long year. Well, since this happened at around 2 to 30 this afternoon, so that is the very latest at this point.

A couple of hours ago, we found out some information about the water. We found out that the water was in the middle of the lake. It was in the middle of the lake by Jack Brown, C paint, Plain base in Winterhaven. The other one is a regular fixed wing plane with a connection to Polk State College. The question that we still have no answer to at this point. Who was on board? The sunset on Lake Hartridge and a search and rescue effort in the water and hope fated that anyone survived a midair collision Tuesday afternoon. There's just, you know, water.

We found out that the water was in the middle of the lake. It was in the middle of the lake by Jack Brown, C paint, Plain base in Winterhaven. The other one is a regular fixed wing plane with a connection to Polk State College. The question that we still have no answer to at this point. Who was on board? The sunset on Lake Hartridge and a search and rescue effort in the water and hope fated that anyone survived a midair collision Tuesday afternoon. There's just, you know, a lot of people who were on board. We found out that the water was in the middle of the lake by Jack Brown, C paint, and Winterhaven and heard the crash.

I was working from my home at my desk, and I just heard a very loud noise. It sounded like a tree falling like a large thud. That was the sound of two planes slamming into each other. Hours later, one aircraft could still be seen partially submerged. Polk Sheriff's investigators say the other one is more than 20 feet underwater. We do have one confirmed deceased, but I a lot of people who were on board. We found out that the water was in the middle of the lake by Jack Brown, C paint, and Winterhaven and heard the crash.

I was working from my home at my desk, and I just heard a very loud noise. It sounded like a tree falling like a large thud. That was the sound of two planes slamming into each other. Hours later, one aircraft could still be seen partially submerged. Polk Sheriff's investigators say the other one is more than 20 feet underwater. We do have one confirmed deceased, but I believe there are possibly other deceased witnesses on a boat told detectives they pulled one person from the water and performed CPR, but that person didn't make it. Cruz also found a second victim in the water.

Sheriff's Office Chief of Staff Steve Lester says it's unclear what caused the collision or if there were more people on board. Neighbors were stunned to find out what happened. That's definitely a freak accident. You don't hear about that kind of thing. She says this is a neighborhood with a lot of pilots who own their own small planes. Her believe there are possibly other deceased witnesses on a boat told detectives they pulled one person from the water and performed CPR, but that person didn't make it. Cruz also found a second victim in the water.

Sheriff's Office Chief of Staff Steve Lester says it's unclear what caused the collision or if there were more people on board. Neighbors were stunned to find out what happened. That's definitely a freak accident. You don't hear about that kind of thing. She says this is a neighborhood with a lot of pilots who own their own small planes. Her thoughts are now with the victims and their loved ones. I just I can't imagine for those families.

My heart goes out to them. I'm praying for them for their families. Yeah, and, uh, well, going into this story, we had said that we don't know who these people are. Well, now we do. That's how breaking this is here. The three of the four people involved in this midair collision have now been identified. 24 year old Faith Baker.

She was the pilot of one of these planes. She was a flight instructor from Polk State College. The other is a pilot of the Polk State College. She was a pilot of the Polk College. She was a pilot of the Polk College. She was a pilot of the Polk College. She thoughts are now with the victims and their loved ones.

I just I can't imagine for those families. My heart goes out to them. I'm praying for them for their families. Yeah, and, uh, well, going into this story, we had said that we don't know who these people are. Well, now we do. That's how breaking this is here. The three of the four people involved in this midair collision have now been identified.

24 year old Faith Baker. She was the pilot of one of these planes. She was a flight instructor from Polk State College. The other is a pilot of the Polk State College. She was a pilot of the Polk College. She was a pilot of the Polk College. She was a pilot of the Polk College.

She was a pilot of the Polk College. She was a pilot of the Polk College. She was a pilot of the Polk College. She was a pilot of the Polk State College. The other in that plane was 19 year old. Zachary. I may have this name wrong, so mark, you may have to correct me or Zachary.

May Zachary. May thank you. He was a student at Polk State College and then Randall Crawford is the third person. He was in the other plane. 67 years old. The fourth person at this point is unidentified. The NTSB and FAA are now leading this investigation.

They are expected to be out here all night and into tomorrow was a pilot of the Polk College. She was a pilot of the Polk College. She was a pilot of the Polk College. She was a pilot of the Polk State College. The other in that plane was 19 year old. Zachary. I may have this name wrong, so mark, you may have to correct me or Zachary.

May Zachary. May thank you. He was a student at Polk State College and then Randall Crawford is the third person. He was in the other plane. 67 years old. The fourth person at this point is unidentified. The NTSB and FAA are now leading this investigation.

They are expected to be out here all night and into tomorrow and into the future. They are expected to be out here all night and into the future. One thing we're hearing is that the Polk Sheriff's Office is urging people to stay away at this point. If people typically boat on Hartridge, like just, you know, maybe don't come out tomorrow because this investigation is going to be ongoing and they're going into need to be able to focus their investigation in those waters on the lake. Mark need to be respectful of that. And of course, those who sadly have perished Aaron Mesmer, live force Aaron Thaks. Absolutely and into the future.

They are expected to be out here all night and into the future. One thing we're hearing is that the Polk Sheriff's Office is urging people to stay away at this point. If people typically boat on Hartridge, like just, you know, maybe don't come out tomorrow because this investigation is going to be ongoing and they're going into need to be able to focus their investigation in those waters on the lake. Mark need to be respectful of that. And of course, those who sadly have perished Aaron Mesmer, live force Aaron Thaks. Absolutely.

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