A tragic plane crash in Alaska has claimed the lives of all 10 individuals onboard, including a San Antonio native. Carol Mooers, 48, was among the victims when the small commuter plane went down on Thursday, traveling from Unalakleet to Nome, authorities confirmed. According to KSAT, Mooers' sister, Sharon Florence, revealed that her sibling was on a mission to pick up students for college tours in Juneau and Anchorage.
The aircraft was located in the icy Bering Sea on Friday, a day after the incident, with the Alaska Department of Public Safety announcing that all passengers and the pilot perished in the crash. San Antonio native Mooers, an Army veteran who previously worked as a counselor in Alaskan schools, left behind her husband and two sons, KSAT reported.
Alaska state troopers completed the distressing task of identifying the victims, as NBC News relayed in a statement. The victims included pilot Chad Antill, 34, of Nome; Liane Ryan, 52, of Wasilla; Donnell Erickson, 58, of Nome; Andrew Gonzalez, 30, of Wasilla; Kameron Hartvigson, 41, of Anchorage; Rhone Baumgartner, 46, of Anchorage; Jadee Moncur, 52, of Eagle River; Ian Hofmann, 45, of Anchorage; Talaluk Katchatag, 34, of Unalakleet; and Carol Mooers.
Recovery efforts were complicated by the inaccessible condition of the airplane, with the Coast Guard initially finding three people dead inside the wreckage. They reported that the "severity of the wreckage was beyond the possibility of survival," according to a statement NBC News obtained. The Nome Volunteer Fire Department, assisted by the Alaska National Guard, activated its search-and-rescue team to assist in the recovery effort, undertaken in harsh Alaskan conditions.
Expressions of sympathy and sorrow were widespread, with Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy expressing that he and his wife, Rose, "are heartbroken by the loss of the 10 people on the Bering Air flight," and Senator Lisa Murkowski acknowledging the far-reaching impact of the tragedy on the Alaskan community – "When tragedy strikes, we're never far removed from the Alaskans directly impacted," she told NBC News. The National Transportation Safety Board has prioritized the recovery of the victims as they begin their investigation into the crash.
