Family mourns daughter Kathleen Canavan as loved ones grieve at Lake Eildon ultralight crash scene
The distraught mother of a young woman killed in an horrific ultralight aircraft crash at Lake Eildon says her daughter was adventurous and strove to make people happy, as relatives mourn at the crash scene.
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The mother of a woman killed yesterday when an ultralight aircraft crashed into Lake Eildon has described her daughter as “beautiful inside and out” with a generous and adventurous spirit.
The woman has been identified as 23-year-old Vermont South woman Kathleen Canavan.
The discovery of the her body follows a massive search after the aircraft crashed into the water near Mountain Bay, south of Mansfield on the eastern shores of the lake, about 12.20pm on Saturday.
The plane’s pilot, a man in his 40s, miraculously escaped the crash with only minor injuries and was picked up by a passing fishing boat.
He has today been discharged from the Alfred Hospital as relatives of Ms Canavan comforted each other beside the lake as the crashed aircraft was hauled ashore by police.
Kathleen’s devastated mother Karen Canavan told the Herald Sun her daughter was a “very loving and compassionate” person.
“She would do anything for anyone,” Mrs Canavan said.
“She was just beautiful inside and out.
“We would like to request prayers for our Kathleen.
“She always was looking out to help people, that’s the way she was, she wanted everyone to be happy.
“We are very distraught.”
Mrs Canavan said her daughter still lived at home and was a practising Roman Catholic.
“Every Sunday we all go to church,” Mrs Canavan said.
“Kathleen’s faith was very important to her.
“We’re all here (at home), we have amazing support from family and friends and the prayers are what is keeping us going.”
Mrs Canavan said her daughter was adventurous and loved the outdoors.
“She loved walking, she loved her dog called Rufus, she used to take him for runs,” she said.
“She loved being outdoors, she loved adventure.”
Victoria Police search & rescue work to recover a ultra light aircraft that crashed into Lake Eildon at Goughs Bay. The pilot managed to escape but tragically his 23yo niece wasn’t able to be saved @7NewsMelbourne pic.twitter.com/RkD285ETPn
— Cassie Zervos (@cassiezervos) June 9, 2019
It is understood Ms Canavan tried to get to Mansfield as often as she could to see family who lived there.
She had also just been on a recent holiday to Fiji.
“We had a call from family in Mansfield last night,” Mrs Canavan said.
“It’s the call that no one wants to receive.
“She (Kathleen) was brought back last night.”
Ms Canavan had five siblings — three sisters and two brothers.
She was the second eldest child.
“We are very distraught but we know where she is, that’s a comfort.”
“She just tried so hard to make people happy in any way she could, she would give her last dollar to someone.”
A witness to the crash, Alicia Bird, saw the plane moments before it crashed.
“He was almost touching the water he was that low,” Ms Bird told the Herald Sun.
“We all commented on how low it was.”
A fisherman enjoying a day on the lake with his son said he saw the aircraft moments before the crash.
He said he saw the ultralight flying dangerously close to the water shortly after midday.
“The plane was maybe a metre and a half above the water, and he was going very fast,” he said.
“He was so close I could see his grin, and I remember saying: ‘This guy’s going to have an accident.’
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“I could see the pilot and another woman on board — she looked around the same age as the man and she may have been strapped to the aircraft.”
The Civil Aviation Authority and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau have been notified of the incident.
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