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Gwen Shamblin Lara plane crash – Human remains and wreckage found after jet hit lake with ‘all 7 on board presumed dead’
HUMAN remains and plane debris have been recovered after a private jet carrying Christian diet guru Gwen Shamblin Lara and six others crashed into a Tennessee lake.
The Remnant Fellowship Church founder, her husband Joe and six others are all presumed dead after small plane crashed into Percy Priest Lake in Smyrna on Saturday morning.
Shamblin Lara is the author of The Weigh Down Diet[/caption]
A rescue effort was underway at the lake Saturday morning[/caption]
Dive teams from local emergency agencies found human remains and pieces of the plane that crashed on Percy Warner Lake.
“The debris field is approximately a half of a mile wide,” said Rutherford County Fire Captain and Incident Commander John Ingle.
Crews are flying drones as the recovery effort continues.
Officials released the names of all seven people they believe were aboard the small plane when the plane crashed into the water in Smyrna on Saturday morning.
“All indications are that a total of seven people were on board,” a release from Rutherford County officials said. All are presumed dead, the statement said.
The victims are believed to be Joe Lara, Gwen S. Lara, Jennifer J. Martin, David L. Martin, Jessica Walters, Jonathan Walters, and Brandon Hannah, according to the statement.
Shamblin Lara founded the Remnant Fellowship Church in 1999 and is the author of The Weigh Down Diet.
The Federal Aviation Administration told WTVF that the plane departed from the Smyrna Rutherford County Airport just before 11am before crashing into Percy Priest Lake.
WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR:
- Authorities said all 7 people aboard the plane are ‘presumed dead’
- The plane was registered to a company owned by the Laras
- Shamblin Lara’s daughter “sent a text to their church members“
- It sid the plane went down “for a controlled, quick landing”
- Authorities released the names of the 7 people onboard
- Crews were continuing recovery efforts through the night
It was reportedly bound for Palm Beach International Airport.
The plane was registered to JL&GL Productions LP, which Shamblin Lara and her husband Joe Lara own together, the outlet reported.
Shamblin Lara’s daughter, Elizabeth Hannah, reportedly sent out a text message to Remnant church members asking for prayers.
Shamblin Lara and her husband Joe Lara reportedly own the plane that went down[/caption]
Authorities shared the identities of the presumed victims on Saturday night[/caption]
She said that the plane had to go down “for a controlled, quick landing,” according to the outlet.
Hannah also said that the Laras were on the plane with other church leaders: the Martins, the Walters, and her own husband, Brandon.
“More information to come, but be in prayer — and be at peace,” Hannah’s message continues.
“GOD IS IN CONTROL, and we will not stop moving forward with WHAT GOD WANTS with this church.”
In a statement to The Sun, the Remnant Fellowship Church said the families were still awaiting word from the authorities on Saturday evening.
Jonathan and Jessica Walters[/caption]
David and Jennifer Martin[/caption]
Elizabeth and Brandon Hannah[/caption]
“The Shamblins, Hannahs, and Laras appreciate your concern, support and prayers,” the statement said. “The families are awaiting details from the authorities.
“The families will share details at the appropriate time.”
Rutherford County Fire Rescue confirmed that multiple agencies responded to the crash site around 11am on Saturday.
“Multiple agencies on scene of a small jet that crashed into Percy Priest Lake around 11:00 a.m. FAA & NTSB en route,” the squad wrote in a tweet.
“Dive Teams determining extent of crash site, examining the debris field, & conducting search & rescue. Boaters and private aircraft urged to stay clear of area.”
In an update on Saturday night, the rescue squad confirmed that recovery efforts at the lake would continue through the night.
Shamblin Lara’s website describes her as a “pioneer of faith-based weight loss.”
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She published a post to her blog on Saturday morning, apparently before the plane departed, where she wrote that, “God does not want us to worry about the food’s content.”
“Jesus taught us that it is not the food that defiles us, but rather the attitudes and thoughts that we have in our hearts and in our minds that will corrupt and destroy us,” the blog says.
“It is the greed in our hearts that leads to overeating and overdrinking.”
