Broadway star Megan Hilty is mourning the "unimaginable" loss of her sister, brother-in-law and niece after they were three of 10 people aboard a sea plane that crashed into Washington's Puget Sound on Sunday.
Hilty's sister, Lauren, her husband, Ross Mickel, and their daughter, Remy Mickel, were listed by the U.S. Coast Guard as passengers aboard the plane that crashed in waters of Mutiny Bay off Whidbey Island.
One deceased individual was found on Sunday night and has not been identified, and the Coast Guard tweeted Monday that it suspended its active search for the remaining nine missing individuals.
The Coast Guard listed nine passengers as being aboard the de Havilland DHC-3 Otter floatplane along with pilot Jason Winter.
Hilty, who starred in the NBC hit "Smash" from 2012-13, declined comment to TODAY through a representative on Tuesday. Her family issued a statement.
“We are deeply saddened and beyond devastated at the loss of our beloved Ross Mickel, Lauren Hilty, Remy and their unborn baby boy, Luca,” the Mickel and Hilty families said in a statement to NBC Seattle affiliate KING. “Our collective grief is unimaginable. 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."
The plane was flying from the popular San Juan Islands area to a suburb of Seattle when it crashed, according to the Coast Guard. Mickel, 47, and Lauren Hilty, 39, got married at Roche Harbor on San Juan Island in 2019, according to The Seattle Times.
Mickel founded the Ross Andrew Winery in Woodinville, Washington in 1999 and was an acclaimed vintner in the state, according to the winery's website.
"We are deeply saddened by the news about Ross Mickel and his family," the Washington State Wine Commission said in a statement to NBC News. "Ross had an incredible impact on the Washington wine community and he will be greatly missed. Our thoughts are with his loved ones as they navigate this extraordinarily difficult time.”
The National Transportation Safety Board is conducting an investigation into the accident. The probe could take 18 to 24 months, and there is some indication the plane took a nosedive, a spokesperson told NBC affiliate KING.
"Our hearts go out to the families, loved ones and friends of those who remain missing and the deceased," the Coast Guard said in a statement.
The other passengers aboard the plane were listed as Patricia Hicks, Sandra Williams, Luke Ludwig, Rebecca Ludwig, Joanne Mera, and Gabrielle Hanna.