Gwen Shamblin Lara among ‘7 passengers presumed dead’ in Tennessee plane wreck after diet guru’s private jet crashes
CHRISTIAN diet guru Gwen Shamblin Lara is among seven passengers "presumed dead" after the Christian weight loss guru's private jet crashed into a Tennessee lake, reports say.
Officials released the names of all seven people they believe were aboard the small plane when the plane crashed into the water in Smyrna on Saturday morning.
“The debris field is approximately a half of a mile wide,” said Rutherford County Fire Captain and Incident Commander John Ingle.
Crews are flying drones as the recovery effort continues.
Tarzan star Joe Lara was also among the deceased.
He had reportedly boarded the flight to Palm Beach with Gwen and five others.
The Federal Aviation Administration told that the plane departed from the Smyrna Rutherford County Airport just before 11am before crashing into Percy Priest Lake.
WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR:
The reason why the jet went down is not yet known.
, reportedly sent out a text message to Remnant church members asking for prayers.
She said that the plane had to go down "for a controlled, quick landing," according to the outlet.
Hannah also said that the Laras were on the plane with other church leaders: the Martins, the Walters, and her own husband, Brandon.
"More information to come, but be in prayer -- and be at peace," Hannah's message continues.
"GOD IS IN CONTROL, and we will not stop moving forward with WHAT GOD WANTS with this church."
In a statement to The Sun, the Remnant Fellowship Church said the families were still awaiting word from the authorities on Saturday evening.
"The Shamblins, Hannahs, and Laras appreciate your concern, support and prayers," the statement said. "The families are awaiting details from the authorities.
"The families will share details at the appropriate time."
Rutherford County Fire Rescue confirmed that multiple agencies responded to the crash site around 11am on Saturday.
"Multiple agencies on scene of a small jet that crashed into Percy Priest Lake around 11:00 a.m. FAA & NTSB en route," the squad wrote in a tweet.
"Dive Teams determining extent of the crash site, examining the debris field, & conducting search & rescue. Boaters and private aircraft urged to stay clear of area."
In an update on Saturday night, the rescue squad confirmed that recovery efforts at the lake would continue through the night.
Shamblin Lara's website describes her as a "pioneer of faith-based weight loss."
She published a post to her blog on Saturday morning, apparently before the plane departed, where she wrote that, "God does not want us to worry about the food's content."
"Jesus taught us that it is not the food that defiles us, but rather the attitudes and thoughts that we have in our hearts and in our minds that will corrupt and destroy us," the blog says.
"It is the greed in our hearts that leads to overeating and overdrinking."
In her last sermon uploaded to YouTube on Friday, she preached about being "born again and becoming immortal".
She said: "As risky and as tedious as the process, being born again where many things could go wrong, note you are conceived in love.
"And love and fear is what grows you. Love and fear is what guides you, grows you.
"It guides you through the birth canal and finally, it is love and it is fear that births you (sic).
READ MORE SUN STORIES
"You're born again to live forever. To see mortal humans being transformed into a full-grown unworldly man whose spirit life through obedience is mixed with gods (sic)."
Her sermon concluded: "It is my prayer for you to be born again, to stop sinning so that you are born of God and remnant nation. It is worth all you have and all your time and all you are."