"I as well as many others are devastated by the loss of life-long friends. At this time, I am respecting the privacy of the families that have had such a significant impact on my life and countless others in our community. My thoughts, love and prayers are with them during this difficult time." - John Schembri, Penfield Varsity Lacrosse Coach
(WXXI News, North County Public Radio, AP) State Police have tentatively identified the names of the four people killed in the small plane crash at Lake Clear in the Adirondacks on Friday.
NYSP Statement:
Raymond J. Shortino, 67, and his wife Sharon I. Shortino, 66, of Rochester, NY. The other couple in the plane were the Shortino's longtime friends, Harvey H. Stoler and his wife Sharon L. Stoler, both 68, of Penfield, NY. Positive identification is pending further investigation and forensic examination. Investigation into the cause of the crash is continuing with the State Police, Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.
The two couples had traveled to that area for a lacrosse tournament in Lake Placid. The four of them were on board a Piper PA-46 airplane, which took off from the Adirondack Regional Airport at 5:50 p.m. on Friday.
Robert Gretz, a senior air safety investigator with the NTSB, says the plane crashed shortly after take-off and burst into flames.
"We found [the plane] together in the sense that it wasn't strewn out over hundreds of yards," Gretz said. "With a fire it always makes it harder, because that consumes some evidence."
He added, "So far I haven't seen anything out of the ordinary [that might have caused the crash]."
Gretz described the crash scene as a remote area that could be accessed only by all-terrain vehicle. It appears that local ground crews monitoring radio traffic "did not receive any emergency distress call or anything like that," he added.
Teams and fans at a lacrosse tournament in Lake Placid planned to hold a moment of silence Sunday morning for the victims.
State and Federal investigators were on the scene at the Adirondack regional airport in Lake Clear Saturday afternoon following the accident.
A Tweet sent by the Penfield, NY, lacrosse club on Saturday read, "A dark cloud has been cast over our Penfield Lax family. With great sadness we are left speechless."
According to TWC News, a family spokesperson released this statement from a son of victims killed in that crash:
"The families of Ray and Sharon Shortino and Harvey and Sharon Stoler would like to thank everyone for their support during this difficult time.
There has been a tremendous outpouring of love from many communities, and it has brought us great comfort in our loss. Our parents were traveling together to be with their families to enjoy the game that brought them that brought them together over 35 years ago."
John Schembri, varsity lacrosse coach at Penfield, emailed this statement when contacted by WXXI News:
"I as well as many others are devastated by the loss of life-long friends. At this time, I am respecting the privacy of the families that have had such a significant impact on my life and countless others in our community. My thoughts, love and prayers are with them during this difficult time."
According to the Democrat and Chronicle, Harvey Stoller was well known in the local lacrosse scene, and was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2006. His son Jason, was participating in the Lake Placid tournament, for players 45 and over.
The D&C says the Shortino’s sons also played for a team playing in that tournament, in a division for people 35 and older.
Sharon Stoler had previously been a school secretary in Penfield. The school district released this statement on Sunday:
"The Penfield Central School District joins Penfield Lacrosse and the Penfield community in mourning the tragic loss of Sharon and Harvey Stoler and Sharon and Ray Shortino, who were killed in a plane crash in the Adirondacks on Friday, Aug. 7th. The Stolers and Shortinos were the dedicated parents of several Penfield alumni and had many connections to our school community. Mrs. Stoler also worked as a secretary in our high school counseling office until her retirement in 2009. Our thoughts and prayers are with both families and their friends at this difficult time."
The NTSB expects to have the plane wreckage removed Monday and shipped to a secure facility in Delaware as part of the investigation. The agency should have a preliminary report in about 10 days.