Tributes pour in for Valentina and her mum (Image: Facebook)
The devastated relatives of an 11 year old girl, who tragically perished alongside her in a catastrophic medical, have expressed their profound grief, saying they are “experiencing all the pain in the world” while heartfelt tributes flood in for the victims.
Valentina Guzman Murillo and her mother Lizeth Murillo Ozuna, aged 31, were among the seven fatalities when a medical aircraft went down in a neighbourhood on Friday evening.
The young girl had recently received critical in the US and was en route back to Mexico with her mother when the tragedy struck. The Learjet 55, which departed from Northeast Philadelphia , was barely a minute into its flight when chilling footage captured it bursting into flames before plummeting to the ground.
All passengers on board, including Captain Alan Alejandro Montoya Perales, Copilot Josue de Jesus Juarez Juarez, Dr. Raul Meza Arredondo, and paramedic Rodrigo Lopez Padilla, lost their lives in the incident, as confirmed by Mayor Cherelle Parker in a statement on Saturday. Additionally, a motorist on the ground was killed by the descending plane, and numerous others were injured, with three remaining in critical condition and five .
Valentina and her mum were on their way back to Mexico (Image: Facebook)
Fabi Guzman, a relative of Valentina and Lizeth, took to social media with a poignant message as she honoured their memory. She expressed: “With all the pain in the world and on behalf of my family, I want to thank you for each of your messages and calls. We are going through a very painful time and our hearts are in pieces. I ask for prayers and eternal rest for my girls.”
Shriners Children’s Philadelphia, where Valentina was a patient, confirmed her stay in the US for treatment. The hospital released a statement saying, “Shriners Children’s is heartbroken to confirm that one of our pediatric patients and the child’s mother were aboard the Jet Rescue Air Ambulance that crashed in Philadelphia,” reports
César Esparza, whose child went to school with Valentina, spoke to the New York Times, describing her as a “fighter” known by her local community. Shai Gold, representing Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, the company owning the aircraft, also praised Valentina’s courage, stating, “She did her course of care. She was going home. She fought quite a lot to survive, and unfortunately, this tragedy on the way home,” she lamented.
The relatives of other victims have come forward as well. Shantelle Fletcher’s cousin, 33 year old Dominque, was among those injured on the ground. Shantelle shared with NBC10 on Sunday, “She is in a medically-induced coma,” adding, “Seventy percent of her body is burnt. She’s responding well to medication. She has surgery scheduled for today.”
The horrific crash caused chaotic scenes on the ground, including at a nearby Dunkin’ where a father and his young son were at the time of the catastrophe. After hearing a deafening roar, the pair walked out to a complete apocalyptic-like scene with no idea as to what just happened.’We came out and it didn’t look anything like it did when we went in,’ the father said.The nightmare just outside the doors was captured on shocking video footage, which showed small fires scattered around the parking lot and debris saturating every inch of the ground.Blood-curdling screams can be heard from the young child, who appeared to be in absolute terror as he looked around at the aftermath. (Image: X)
Trey Howard, aged 10, is still in hospital after being struck on the head by metal debris while in a car close to the crash site. His father, Andre Howard, has revealed that his son was acting as a shield for his sister at the time of the incident.
“The way it landed, it was only because he laid on his sister, he landed right on the right side of his head,” he explained.