Broadway and TV star Megan Hilty has suffered an unimaginable family tragedy with the death of her pregnant sister, brother-in-law and niece over the weekend.
The Smash actress, 41, is mourning her loved ones who all died in a seaplane crash in Puget Sound in Washington on Sunday.
The US Coast Guard confirmed the sad news on Tuesday, revealing that Hilty’s family members were three of the 10 passengers on board, including the pilot – there were nine adults and one child on board.
“The Coast Guard offers its deepest sympathies to those who lost a loved one in this tragedy,” Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator, Commander Xochitl Castañeda, told local news outlet KING 5 News.
Megan’s sister Lauren, her husband Ross Mickel, their daughter Remy and unborn child Luca all perished.
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A search and rescue mission recovered one female body, which has yet to be identified, but the other nine passengers remain missing. The recovery mission has since been called off. It is unknown what caused the plane crash and the National Transportation Safety Board is conducting an investigation into the accident.
After the horrific tragedy, the family of Lauren’s husband spoke of their grief, telling local news outlet KING 5 News that their “collective grief is unimaginable”. Ross – Megan’s brother-in-law – was a local winemaker and much loved in the community.
“We are deeply saddened and beyond devastated at the loss of our beloved Ross Mickel, Lauren Hilty, Remy and their unborn baby boy, Luca. Our collective grief is unimaginable,” the Mickels said in a statement.
“They were a bright and shining light in the lives of everyone who knew them. Although their time with us was too short, we will carry their legacy forward.”
Meanwhile, Megan – a Tony nominee – has yet to publicly address the tragedy, but it’s believed the siblings were extremely close, along with their other sister, Kristen Hilty – and the tight-knit trio vacationed in Australia in 2019 with their parents.
” We are fa-mi-ly I got all my sisters (and my Mom & Dad) with me!,” Megan captioned a family selfie on Instagram at the time, as they took in the sights of Sydney Harbour.
https://www.instagram.com/p/ByuINdOlq-m/
Megan was also in town to perform a selection of classic tunes from her hit Broadway musical Wicked and TV series Smash at the iconic Sydney Opera House.
“I can’t believe in two days I’ll be singing at the Sydney Opera House!!! And to make it even better, I’ve got my family here to experience this Australian adventure with me!” she said.
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