A tragic mid-air collision in Washington, DC, claimed the lives of 67 people when an American Airlines plane and a Black Hawk helicopter crashed on Wednesday night.
Two teenage figure skaters, their mothers, and two former world champions who were coaching at a prestigious Boston skating club were among the 14 members of the skating community who tragically lost their lives in Wednesday night’s mid-air collision. The American Airlines flight collided with an Army helicopter before crashing into the icy waters of the Potomac River.
Authorities have recovered 40 bodies from the Potomac River so far, including multiple figure skaters spanning different ages and levels of achievement, as well as crew members from American Airlines Flight 5342.
Everly and Alydia Livingston
Sisters Everly Livingston, 14, and Alydia Livingston, 11, members of the Washington Figure Skating Club, were among the victims of the tragic crash, as confirmed by the Skating Club of Boston.
Just days before the accident, the Livingston sisters competed in the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas. The American Eagle flight, operated by American Airlines, had departed from Wichita before the fatal collision.
In their final social media post, the sisters shared a heartfelt message, referencing Alydia’s competition badge: “If you look closely at Alydia’s badge. We were born ready for this, but is ready for this much Livingston at Nationals?”
Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov
Renowned Russian figure skating duo Evgenia Shishkova, 53, and Vadim Naumov, 56, were among the victims who lost their lives when the aircrafts crashed into the Potomac River.
The married couple had recently attended the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Kansas before boarding the ill-fated flight. Their passing was officially confirmed by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
“Unfortunately, we see that this sad information is being confirmed,” Peskov stated. “There were other fellow citizens there. Bad news today from Washington. We are sorry and send condolences to the families and friends who lost those of our fellow citizens who died in the plane crash.”
Huge loss for the figure skating community
A total of 14 victims were returning from a national development camp for rising figure skating talents following the U.S. Championships in Wichita, Kansas, according to Zeghibe. Skating clubs in Philadelphia and the Washington area have since expressed their condolences, mourning the loss of their community members.
“We came here because we needed to be together,” said 1956 Olympic champion Tenley Albright while standing at the Boston rink named in her honor. “We’re family, and it’s a community, and the skaters — the people who were on that plane — they’re our family, too.”
“Today, the world of figure skating is heartbroken,” said International Skating Union President Jae Youl Kim. “We share our deepest, most sincere condolences with the families and friends of all those who lost their lives in this terrible crash. To lose so many members of our community in this way brings sadness beyond words.”
