Girl Struck by Plane on Florida Beach Dies

Oceana Irizzary's father was also killed in Sunday accident
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jul 29, 2014 9:39 AM CDT
Girl Struck by Plane on Florida Beach Dies
This Sunday, July 27, 2014, photo provided by the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office shows emergency personnel at the scene of a small plane crash in Caspersen Beach in Venice, Fla.   (AP Photo/Sarasota County Sheriff's Office)

The 9-year-old girl who was struck by a plane that crash-landed on a beach while she vacationed with her family has died from her injuries, law enforcement officials in Florida said today. Oceana Irizzary's father also was killed Sunday. The two, of Fort Stewart, Ga., were walking along Caspersen Beach in Venice on Sunday afternoon when the 1972 Piper Cherokee plane made an emergency landing after reporting problems. Ommy Irizarry, an Army sergeant celebrating his ninth anniversary with wife Rebecca, died at the scene. His daughter was airlifted to All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg. The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office said this morning that they were notified by the medical examiner's office of the girl's death.

It was unclear how the plane or the debris hit the father and his daughter. Officials say the pilot radioed the airport that he was having trouble with the plane and was planning to land on the beach. "He's trying to make the airport," a woman calling 911 from the airport said. "He says he's not going to make the airport. But he's going to be on the beach." In other 911 calls, a family friend cried as she described the scene while screams and wailing could be heard in the background. The pilot was identified as Karl Kokomoor, 57, and the passenger was David Theen, 60, both of nearby Englewood. They were not injured. The National Transportation Safety Board was investigating. (More plane accident stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X