Local News
Philadelphia plane crash victims identified
Authorities have identified three of the six victims involved in the tragic Learjet 55 plane crash in Pennsylvania, which claimed the lives of all on board, including a young girl.
The aircraft was piloted by Captain Alan Montoya and co-pilot Josué Juárez, who were transporting the child patient Valentina Guzman Murillo and her mother, Lizeth Murillo Osuna and medical personnel Flight Paramedic – Rodrigo Lopez back to Mexico after the girl had received life-saving treatment at Shriners Children’s Philadelphia.
Dr. Raúl Meza, a distinguished neonatologist, was also among the victims. XE Médica Ambulancia confirmed his identity in a statement posted on X, noting that Dr. Meza served as the head of neonatology and provided professional services for the XA-UCI air ambulance.
He completed his medical studies at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and specialized in pediatrics and neonatology at the National Institute of Pediatrics. Dr. Meza was assigned to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at ISEM Atizapán.
The incident occurred Friday evening as the Learjet 55, operated by Jet Rescue, was en route from Philadelphia to Mexico.
According to Flightradar data, the aircraft had ascended to 1,650 feet before experiencing a rapid descent at a rate of 11,008 feet per minute.
Chilling audio recordings have surfaced, capturing the final communications between the plane’s crew and air traffic controllers. In the minutes leading up to the crash, the pilot was heard discussing frequency settings with the controller, followed by a cryptic comment about “talking with the wrong people.”
Shortly thereafter, an unsettling moan was audible, believed to have originated from the cockpit. Moments later, a dispatcher queried, “What’s going on down there?” and received the grim response, “We have a lost aircraft. We’re not exactly sure what happened; we’re trying to figure it out. For now, the field is going to be closed.”
The young girl, a patient at Shriners Children’s Philadelphia, had traveled to the U.S. with sponsorship from a third-party charity to receive critical medical care.
The hospital released a statement expressing their condolences: “The patient had received care from Shriners Children’s Philadelphia and was being transported back to her home country in Mexico on a contracted air ambulance when the crash occurred.”
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed her condolences, stating, “I regret the death of six Mexicans in the plane crash in Philadelphia. The consular authorities are in permanent contact with the families.”
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy briefed President Donald Trump about the incident. President Trump later addressed the tragedy on Truth Social, saying, “So sad to see the plane go down in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
More innocent souls lost. Our people are totally engaged. First Responders are already being given credit for doing a great job. More to follow. God Bless you all.”
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash, with the NTSB leading the probe. The investigation is ongoing, and further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
UPDATE: Search efforts have been suspended following the sinking of the commercial fishing vessel Lily Jean off the coast of Gloucester, Massachusetts, marking another tragic loss for the city’s historic fishing community.
The U.S. Coast Guard was alerted early Friday morning by the vessel’s emergency beacon after it activated in the water; no mayday call was received.
Responders located a debris field, an unoccupied life raft, and one deceased individual in the water.
Six other crew members remain missing and are presumed lost after an extensive air and sea search yielded no additional results.
The Coast Guard cited frigid water temperatures, challenging weather conditions, and the vast search area in its decision to suspend operations.
GLOUCESTER, Mass. — Authorities have identified all seven individuals who lost their lives after the commercial fishing vessel Lily Jean sank approximately 25 miles off Cape Ann, Massachusetts, early Friday morning, marking a devastating loss for Gloucester’s historic fishing community.
The Lily Jean, a commercial fishing vessel measuring between 72 and 80 feet in length and homeported in Gloucester—the nation’s oldest working fishing port—activated its emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) at approximately 6:50 a.m. Friday while returning to port.
No mayday call was received, and subsequent attempts to contact the vessel were unsuccessful.
The U.S. Coast Guard immediately launched a large-scale search and rescue operation, deploying an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter and multiple surface assets to the area of the distress signal.
Crews located a debris field and an unoccupied life raft roughly 25 miles offshore near the EPIRB activation site, confirming the vessel had sunk to the ocean floor. One deceased individual was recovered from the water.
The remaining six crew members were later presumed lost after extensive search efforts yielded no additional results.
Officials confirmed that seven people were aboard the vessel at the time of the incident, revising earlier reports that indicated six.
The seven individuals who perished aboard the Lily Jean are:
- John Paul Rousanidis, 33, of Salem/Peabody, Massachusetts
- Sean Therrien, 44, of Lynn/Peabody, Massachusetts
- Freeman Short, of the Marshfield/Scituate area
- Captain Gus Sanfilippo, a well-known and respected Gloucester fisherman
- Paul Beal Sr., deckhand
- Paul Beal Jr., deckhand and son of Paul Beal Sr.
- Jada Samitt, 22, of Virginia
Jada Samitt, the seventh crew member identified, was serving aboard the vessel in the role of a federal fisheries observer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). She had recently relocated to Massachusetts to pursue her passion for environmental biology, graduating last year. Family members said joining the Lily Jean crew was her first major professional role at sea and a lifelong dream.
Her aunt, Heather Michaels, described Samitt as a compassionate and driven young woman who deeply respected her captain and dedicated herself fully to her work. “She put her heart and soul into this opportunity,” family members said, noting her commitment to marine conservation and the fishing community.
Officials said the Lily Jean had reported taking on water shortly before contact was lost.
The vessel is now presumed fully submerged.
The tragedy has sent shockwaves through Gloucester’s close-knit maritime community.
Ashley Sullivan, a local business owner who knew the vessel’s owner, emphasized the daily risks faced by commercial fishermen. “I hope people really take a moment to understand the sacrifices these men and women make to put food on our tables,” she said. “This is heartbreaking.”
Massachusetts State Senator Bruce Tarr also expressed condolences, highlighting Gloucester’s deep fishing heritage. “Gloucester has a long fishing history, and that history includes tragic loss,” Tarr said. “It appears we are experiencing another of those painful chapters.”
Governor Maura Healey released a statement saying she was “heartbroken over the devastating news out of Gloucester,” adding that her administration has offered full assistance to local officials and the Coast Guard. She extended prayers to the victims’ families and the broader fishing community across Cape Ann and the Commonwealth.
Community members and local businesses have continued to share messages of remembrance and solidarity. Taylor Hunt, a relative of Freeman Short, posted a tribute honoring the crew, writing in part: “The salt has been in our blood for generations… A man is not lost while the sea remembers his name. Fair winds and following seas.”
The Lily Jean had previously been featured on the History Channel series Nor’Easter Men, which documented the dangers and demands of New England’s commercial fishing industry.
While search operations have concluded, the Coast Guard and relevant agencies continue to review the circumstances surrounding the sinking. Officials have stated that further updates will be released as additional information becomes available.
Authorities have urged the public to keep the victims’ families and Gloucester’s fishing community in their thoughts and prayers during this period of profound loss.