Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Home / Latest Stories / Community Remembers Victims Of Safety Harbor Plane Crash

Community Remembers Victims Of Safety Harbor Plane Crash

/
/
ad-mania
Heart vigil
Members of the community gathered for a heart vigil in honor of the victims of the Safety Harbor plane crash Wednesday night.

Shortly before a ceremony to honor the victims of the Safety Harbor plane crash was set to begin on Wednesday evening, reports came out that Katie, the 15-year-old daughter of pilot Jeffrey Bronken, who perished in the crash, had also died from her injuries.

With that somber news hanging in the air over John Wilson Park, a group of citizens gathered at the Gazebo to take part in a heart vigil for the three people who were on board the small plane that crashed on McMullen Booth Road early Saturday morning.

The ceremony, in which colorful scarves are placed inside a large heart shape, was organized by a few residents of Safety Harbor and Clearwater who wanted the families of the Chicago-based Bronkens, as well as 15-year-old survivor Keyana Linbo, to know they have plenty of support here.

“We wanted to do something for the families without being too intrusive,” Janet Lee Stinson, a local artist and co-organizer of the ceremony, said afterwards.

Janet Lee Stinson helped organize the heart vigil for the crash victims.
Janet Lee Stinson (C) helped organize the heart vigil for the crash victims.

“My mother and I met with Karen (Hackel), and she said, ‘let’s have a vigil,’ and I said, ‘let’s send them a heart’.”

Stinson said each of the scarves represent a member of the community reaching out to those who were affected by the tragedy.

Coming together to form a heart shape, it shows solidarity between the community and the families of the victims.

“It let’s them know that even though they’re not from here, we’ve taken them in here,” she explained. “They are all one of us.”

The ceremony brought representatives of numerous local news agencies in addition to civic leaders and citizens.

Mayor-elect Andy Steingold signs a memory board for one of the crash victims.
Mayor-elect Andy Steingold signs a memory board for one of the crash victims.

Safety Harbor Mayor-elect Andy Steingold stopped by on his way to a meeting to sign the memory cards for the two teenage girls, and he offered his thoughts on the senseless tragedy that has affected the town.

“My thoughts and prayers go out to the families who lost their loved ones, and I wish a speedy recover to the girl who survived,” Steingold told Safety Harbor Connect.

“We will forever remember this loss, and we will always welcome the families and friends of those victims to Safety Harbor.”

The tragedy affected one Safety Harbor merchant particularly hard.

heart vigilDee Dokumaci, owner of the Rose Garden Boutique, was so shaken by the accident that she said she wished she could take the place of one of the victims.

“I wish God took my life instead of that young girl,” she said through tears after the ceremony. “I’ve lived a long time and she had a full life ahead of her.”

“I don’t want to question God, but how can you not when something like this happens? It makes no sense.”

5 Comments

  1. 39160 N Sir John Drive
    Lake Villa, IL 60046

    I hope this beautiful memorial has been made available to the families – the funeral for the father and daughter was held yesterday in Illinois, and this would be of such comfort to the family, as well as the young lady who survived and was able to attend.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This div height required for enabling the sticky sidebar
Ad Clicks : Ad Views : Ad Clicks : Ad Views : Ad Clicks : Ad Views : Ad Clicks : Ad Views : Ad Clicks : Ad Views : Ad Clicks : Ad Views :