Local News
Victims killed in Ferrisburgh plane crash identified
A tragic plane crash in Ferrisburgh, Vermont, claimed the lives of a teenager and three adults on Sunday. The four-seat, single-engine Piper aircraft departed Windham Airport in Connecticut at approximately 8:30 AM, embarking on a two-hour flight to Basin Harbor Airport.
The plane successfully landed, and the occupants arrived for a brunch reservation at Basin Harbor. After departing the restaurant shortly after noon, the plane was expected to return to Connecticut. However, when it failed to arrive as scheduled, relatives of the occupants contacted authorities.
Through the use of cellphone location data, police and the Federal Aviation Administration determined that the plane’s last known location was near the airstrip in Vermont.
Middletown police notified the Vermont State Police of the situation at around 10:20 PM on Sunday.
Troopers from the New Haven Barracks, along with members of the Middlebury Police Department and the Vergennes Fire Department, responded to the scene.
With the assistance of a drone operated by Middlebury police, investigators located the wreckage of the aircraft in a wooded area east of the Basin Harbor Airport at approximately 12:20 AM on Monday.
The four victims, identified as Paul Pelletier (55), Frank Rodriquez (88), Susan Van Ness (51), and Delilah Van Ness (15), were pronounced dead at the scene.
Their bodies were transported to the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington for autopsies to determine the cause and manner of death.
Volusia County, Fla. — A 16-year-old boy has died after being found unresponsive in the Indian River during a weekend camping and fishing trip, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities identified the teen as Hunter McKelvin of Paisley. Deputies said he was discovered face-down in the water Saturday morning near a small island east of Maynard May Park in Edgewater.
Members of the group located the teen and immediately began CPR before transporting him by boat to Maynard May Park.
Upon arrival, officers with the Edgewater Police Department and other emergency responders took over life-saving efforts.
McKelvin was then transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased later that morning.
Investigators reported that no visible injuries were observed, and there were no immediate signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances during the initial investigation.
An autopsy has been scheduled as authorities continue to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident.