Georgian family dies in New York plane crash

MILTON, Ga. — A Milton high school athlete, along with his parents, grandfather and brother, were killed in a plane crash in New York over the weekend, the Milton football community announced on social media pages Monday.

“He was happy. He was a big kid. He was a big kid. Everybody on the football team was scared of him,” Wynn Dyer said with a smile, remembering his former teammate.

The 12-year-old spoke to 11Alive’s Angelina Salcedo after stopping by James Ryan Van Epp’s home.

“He was a really nice boy. He loved his brother. He and his brother were best friends. I’m just devastated,” Dyer said.

The Georgia family was in Cooperstown, New York, for a baseball tournament, according to state troopers. On Sunday afternoon, police were called to a report of a possible plane crash in the area of ​​Lake Cecil Road in the town of Masonville.

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A Piper Malibu Mirage was recovered after a multi-agency search in the area, but none of the passengers survived, according to a statement. The plane had taken off from Alfred S. Nader Regional Airport in Oneonta, New York, and was headed to West Virginia to refuel before returning to Georgia.

The deceased family members were Roger Beggs, 76, Laura Van Epps, 43, Ryan Van Epps, 42, James Ryan Van Epps, 12, and Harrison Van Epps, 10.

“We don’t want to bury our kids. We want our kids to bury us first. But something like this happened and it’s really sad,” Mike Monasterio said after laying flowers and balloons on the front steps of his family’s home.

He was a close friend of the family, having met Ryan 12 years ago. He said he felt like Ryan and his family were his own family, ready to help anyone at any time. Monasterio had spoken to Ryan a few days before the accident.

“I said, ‘Brother, I’ll see you at the port. I’ll take you and your family to the airport and I’ll get you there safe and sound.’ Suddenly I heard something like this and you lose half your heart in your body,” Monasterio said.

Since news of this tragic accident was made public, people have taken to social media to share memories of this family and send their condolences to their loved ones.

The Milton Eagles football team was among those posts. The team said James Van Epps was a seventh-grade football player who was rising to the home team. It also said his mother, father, grandfather and brother were also killed in the plane crash.

James and his family also have ties to King’s Ridge Christian School in Alpharetta. Chase Crawford, who coached at the school, expressed how fortunate he felt to have been around the family, even for a short time.

The Van Epps family also has ties to the Ninth Inning baseball program in metropolitan Atlanta. The organization offered its condolences to the family on Facebook Monday night.

Family member Ansley Van Epps told 11Alive they are still coming to terms with the tragedy, but are grateful for the community support they are receiving.

“We are still coming to terms with the tragic loss of our family and the Beggs’ family, and we are all devastated, to say the least. We are deeply grieving and heartbroken,” she said. “Just know that we are grateful for the outpouring of love we have been surrounded by during this difficult time.”

The family also said in a statement that as they cope with this loss, they come together to celebrate the beautiful life she lived.

“Their kindness, laughter and love will forever be etched in our hearts,” the statement read. “Please keep them and our family in your thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time. May we find strength and comfort in the memories and outpouring of love from all who knew them.”