'Smash' alum Megan Hilty pays tribute to 3 family members who died in plane crash
Megan Hilty opened up on Wednesday about losing three of her family members in a plane crash over the weekend.
Her sister Lauren Hilty, along with Lauren's husband Ross Mickel and the couple's son Remy, were aboard a plane that went down Sunday afternoon in Mutiny Bay, located in the Puget Sound off the coast of Whidbey Island in Washington state.
On Wednesday, Megan Hilty addressed the tragedy in a heartbreaking post on Instagram.
"My beloved sister Lauren, brother-in-law Ross and baby nephew Remy were on that plane," she wrote. "To make this news even more devastating, my sister was eight months pregnant and we were expecting to welcome baby boy Luca into the world next month."
The family were among the nine passengers and a pilot aboard the plane when it crashed. The cause of the crash is still unknown.
"The last three days have been the worst of our lives. There are truly no words to appropriately convey the depth of our grief," Megan Hilty wrote.
"Lauren and Ross left behind my niece who we are all holding in our hearts," the actress continued. She added that the family is thankful her niece was not on the plane and asked for everyone to respect her niece's privacy, as she is a minor.
"The outpouring of love and support has meant so much to everyone in our family," she wrote. "It has been so comforting to know just how loved Lauren, Ross, Remy and Luca truly are."
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, one body was found Sunday night that has yet to be positively identified. The extensive search of the crash area for the other missing individuals was suspended Monday.
"The Coast Guard offers its deepest sympathies to those who lost a loved one in this tragedy," Cmdr. Xochitl Castañeda, the search and rescue mission coordinator for the incident, said in a press release.
Megan Hilty is best known for starring in the musical drama series "Smash" as well as in the TV movie "Patsy & Loretta." Her work in the Broadway play "Noises Off" earned her a Tony nomination.
