Horrible, terrible news from the Gulf Coast of Florida today:
On Sunday, divers in the Gulf of Mexico recovered the body of 49-year-old Julia Kelly, one of three people who died when a Cessna 206 plunged into the ocean when a late-night flight to view the lights of the coast ended tragically shortly after midnight Saturday.We suppose it's fortunate that Jake wasn't on that plane too, since he had been down there with her, but that's some pretty goddamn small consolation.
Julia Kelly, who moved from Indiana to Solon, Iowa, last fall to be able to watch her son play for the Hawkeyes, had spent the week vacationing in Florida with Jake Kelly, her younger son, Luke, and a sister who lives in that area, Amy Davidson.
Let's face it: there's no good way to lose a loved one. Even with months of warning and the last call to Hospice and everything, it's still incredibly sad. To lose a mother without warning or a chance to say goodbye (and at 19 years of age, Jesus) is heart-rending on an unbelievable level.
BHGP, too, sends its best wishes to the Kelly family. There's nothing we can do or say to make the situation any less tragic or to help anybody, so we'll close the comments ahead of time. Consider it a moment of silence.