Over 60 people lost their lives when an American Airlines regional passenger jet collided with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.
The crash occurred in the cold Potomac River, near Reagan Washington National Airport.
Fourteen members of the figure skating community were on board the plane at the time of the crash.
A heartbreaking post by teenage figure skater Spencer Lane has surfaced online, which has shaken the hearts of everyone.
He posted a series of pictures on his Instagram account where he is seen smiling and posing happily with his teammates before the crash.
“I am so happy to have qualified for the national development camp earlier in November. It has been my goal almost ever since I became aware that it was a thing. I learned so much and met so many amazing people!” he wrote in a caption.
The Skating Club of Boston confirmed the tragic news, revealing the 16-year-old Spencer had passed away.
Boston’s CEO, Doug Zeghibe, while praising Spencer said, “[He was] highly talented, incredibly talented. Has not been skating very long and rocketed to the top of the sport. Very fun, very cerebral, a good thinker.”
The names of other athletes who were at the camp with Spencer haven’t been shared.
Many people responded to a post by offering their condolences.
One user wrote, “All these babies… It’s wild to think that 6-8 hours before they boarded that plane they were as happy as they could be,” while another penned, “My love goes out to everyone that lost a loved one in this senseless tragedy.”
The third one wrote, “The last picture moments before takeoff… it’s all so eerie and heartbreaking. Makes you remember that life is short and fragile, and none of us knows when our time will be.”
The authorities have confirmed that at least 14 members of US Figure Skating died in the accident, along with two Russian coaches, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov.
