A father who lost his wife and daughter in the Washington DC plane crash has remembered his little girl as a ‘fighter’ who ‘lived life to the fullest’.
Justyna, 42, and Brielle, 12, were among the victims of the incident on Wednesday which saw American Airlines flight 5342 collide with a helicopter over the Potomac River.
Now Andy Beyer has spoken about the unimaginable loss, telling ABC News that his daughter, who fought cancer when she was just four months old, had a ‘passion for everything’.
Remembering Brielle, he added that she ‘just lit up the house with her wonderful voice’ and was ‘proud of herself in figure skating for the progress she had made’.
Justyna and Brielle were on their way home from a U.S. Figure Skating National Development Camp in Wichita, Kansas, when the crash happened.
Andy and his six-year-old son were due to collect their loved ones from the airport and were already there waiting when they found out something had gone wrong.
‘When it was time for the plane to land, they hadn’t landed… we couldn’t get text messages through and I saw all the fire trucks and everything go by and I knew,’ Andy said.
He continued: ‘I called an air traffic controller friend of mine and she confirmed it was their flight. And I knew, and I told my son, and I just didn’t have a lot of hope, unfortunately.
‘We had a good cry about it right then and there and then we had to go into the family waiting room before we, hours later, got any official word of what had fully happened.’
In the hours after the crash, a GoFundMe has been set up for Andy and his family to help with funeral expenses, memorial services, and any other unforeseen costs.
The page also pays tribute to Brielle and Justyna, saying: ‘Brielle was a bright light, carried a charming smile, and was known for her endless commitment to achieving goals. She had dreams as big as the sky, with a passion for figure skating.
‘Justyna, a devoted mother, exhibited unconditional love and support towards her two children and loving husband. She sacrificed so much to provide for Brielle’s future as an Olympic figure skater.’
It comes as President Trump blamed one of the deadliest plane crashes in U.S. history on diversity and inclusion policies, sparking controversy in the wake of the tragedy.
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