COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A heartbreaking new video showed the moment one of the two youngest victims of a deadly plane crash hit a grand slam during a youth baseball tournament in Cooperstown, New York just days before he died.
On Sunday, 12-year-old James Van Epps and his family were leaving the tournament and boarded a small plane to Georgia. They never made it home.
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The plane crashed in a wooded area in upstate New York. Everyone on board died, including the entire Van Epps family: 42-year-old Ryan, 43-year-old Laura, 12-year-old James and 10-year-old Harrison. Roger Beggs, 76, also died in the crash.
“It’s just a sad day, really. You know you never want to hear something like that, especially at that age, you know a whole family,” Ben Nadler, a former youth baseball player told Channel 2′s Audrey Washington on Tuesday.
In a Facebook post, the Van Epps family wrote in part:
“In the wake of a heartbreaking tragedy, we mourn the loss of our family.”
“As we grapple with this unimaginable loss, let us come together to remember and celebrate the beautiful lives they lived. Their kindness, laughter, and love will forever be etched in our hearts.”
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Tuesday, there was a small memorial of flowers and balloons outside the Van Epps’ Alpharetta home.
“It’s just terrible,” said neighbor Paul Cruz.
Nadler said he hopes the baseball community will come together and remember the Van Epps family.
“I saw that he [James] hit a home run and that was a huge moment for the family, it’s just really awful,” Nadler added.
The FAA and the NTSB are investigating the cause of the plane crash.
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