The tragic twist of fate that struck a couple just weeks before their scheduled wedding in Hawaii has been affirmed with the identification of all four victims of the Half Moon Bay plane crash. Lochie Ferrier, the 27-year-old pilot, and his fiancée, Cassidy Rae Petit, 26, were meant to exchange vows at sunrise on Jan. 28 – a dream that dissolved over the Pacific waters where their plane met its end. According to SFist, the small, homebuilt Cozy MK IV aircraft came down a week ago Sunday, claiming the lives of what has now been confirmed as four souls.
The reality of their envisioned wedding taking place without them, Petit and Ferrier 's shared Celebration of Life on that day is set to take place as a stark contrast to their plans for marital bliss in Kauai. Following the wrenching discovery, a grim search turned up Emma Willmer-Shiles, 27, while the fourth passenger, Isaac Zimmern, 27, has also been presumed deceased. The obituary for Petit, sourced from Vermont, detailed her aspiration to surf in her wedding gown post-ceremony, as reported by SFist.
The detailed lives of the couple, who uprooted to the Bay Area to pursue their dreams, were provided by the Mercury News. Petit is remembered for her leadership qualities and passion for women’s health and equity, while Ferrier was recognized as a dedicated test pilot with a zeal for electric aircraft. The couple and their dog, Kane, recently relocated to start anew in California.
The finality of the accident punctuates an otherwise vibrant future that the couple, along with Zimmern and Willmer-Shiles, were deprived of building, interrupted by the ill-fated flight departing from Hayward Executive Airport and later Half Moon Bay Airport. According to Mercury News, the plane belonging to Oakland-based Winged Wallabies Inc. caught the attention of a witness near the Half Moon Bay Airport on Jan. 14 due to erratic flying. After hearing the engine sputter, the craft vanished from view, prompting a response that would tragically confirm the community's fears.
The National Transportation Safety Board has taken on the case and anticipates releasing a preliminary report soon. In the meantime, Thane Ostroth, the retired Florida dentist who sold the plane to Ferrier, defended the integrity of the homebuilt aircraft in a statement to the Daily Mail, noting his devastation over the events that had unfolded.
