Latest news with #DominicDamian
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Yahoo
Victim of San Diego plane crash honored by local jiu-jitsu community
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — After a local jiu-jitsu fighter was identified by teammates as one of the victims in last Thursday's deadly plane crash in San Diego, his martial arts community rallied together to host an open mat in his honor. Dominic Damian, 41, was one of six people killed after a Cessna 550 crashed into a Murphy Canyon military housing neighborhood early Thursday around 3:45 a.m. Damian was a black belt jiu-jitsu fighter who won several awards, including silver and bronze medals at the World Jiu Jitsu Championships. 'It's just like an emptiness': Friends and teammates remember victim of deadly plane crash His fellow athletes at The Training Center in Pacific Beach identified him as one of the victims of the crash. They held an open mat on Memorial Day as a way to remember him. 'Dom did a lot for a lot of people, and jiu jitsu itself does a lot for a lot of people,' said JD Speck, another black belt fighter at the center. 'So, when you have somebody who is such a top-level competitor but is also willing to reach out and help those that are first entering their jiu-jitsu journey, it means a lot.' Baret Yoshida, a trainer at the facility, said he started training with Damian in 2007 and they became friends. 'I couldn't believe it was real,' Yoshida told FOX 5/KUSI in an earlier interview. 'Even now, it's still settling in, you know, because just the other week, we were watching Dom hit home runs over the fence.' The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office also named four other victims who died in the crash: David Shapiro, 42, Emma Huke, 25, Celina Kenyon, 36, and Kendall Fortner, 24. Although not yet announced by the medical examiner's office, Daniel Williams, a former drummer for the rock band The Devil Wears Prada, was also on the plane and presumed dead, according to Tandem Management Company. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Yahoo
2 more victims of private jet crash in San Diego identified by coroner
The names of two more people who were killed when the small private jet on which they were passengers crashed into a San Diego, California, neighborhood last week were released on Sunday. The San Diego Medical Examiner confirmed that 41-year-old Dominic Christopher Damian and 24-year-old Kendall Fortner were among the six people aboard a Cessna 550 jet that crash and burst into flames early Thursday morning in dense fog near Montgomery Gibbs Executive Airport. Everyone aboard the plane died, officials said. Eight people on the ground were injured, including five who were treated for smoke inhalation, officials said. Multiple homes were destroyed and several vehicles were damaged, authorities said. The crash occurred about 3:45 a.m. when the private jet clipped powerlines and crashed in San Diego's Murphy Canyon neighborhood seconds before it was to land at the Montgomery Gibbs Executive Airport, according to an investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the NTSB. On Friday, the Medical Examiner confirmed the identities of three of the people aboard the aircraft who were killed as 42-year-old David Shapiro, 25-year-old Emma Huke, and 36-year-old Celina Kenyon. MORE: Music agency co-founder among dead in San Diego plane crash The identity of the sixth person killed in the cash has not been publicly confirmed by officials. Shapiro was the co-founder of the music talent agency Sound Talent Group, the company said in an earlier statement. The company's statement identified Fortner as a booking associate with the agency but Fortner's identity wasn't officially confirmed by the medical examiner until Sunday. Huke also worked for the talent agency as a booking associate, according to the agency. The plane was flying from Wichita, Kansas, to San Diego when it crashed, officials said. The plane originated in Teterboro, New Jersey, according to FlightRadar24 records. The plane stopped to refuel in Wichita, Kansas, before flying on to San Diego, according to FlightRadar24. San Diego Assistant Fire Chief of Emergency Operations Dan Eddy said at a news conference on Thursday that there was dense fog in the area at the time of the crash. In air traffic control audio transmissions minutes before the crash, the pilot was recorded asking about the weather conditions, according to The NTSB said that the airport's weather reporting system as well as runway lights were both not functioning at the time of the crash. ABC News' Nadine El-Bawab contributed to this report. 2 more victims of private jet crash in San Diego identified by coroner originally appeared on
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Yahoo
2 more victims of private jet crash in San Diego identified by coroner
The names of two more people who were killed when the small private jet on which they were passengers crashed into a San Diego, California, neighborhood last week were released on Sunday. The San Diego Medical Examiner confirmed that 41-year-old Dominic Christopher Damian and 24-year-old Kendall Fortner were among the six people aboard a Cessna 550 jet that crash and burst into flames early Thursday morning in dense fog near Montgomery Gibbs Executive Airport. Everyone aboard the plane died, officials said. Eight people on the ground were injured, including five who were treated for smoke inhalation, officials said. Multiple homes were destroyed and several vehicles were damaged, authorities said. The crash occurred about 3:45 a.m. when the private jet clipped powerlines and crashed in San Diego's Murphy Canyon neighborhood seconds before it was to land at the Montgomery Gibbs Executive Airport, according to an investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the NTSB. On Friday, the Medical Examiner confirmed the identities of three of the people aboard the aircraft who were killed as 42-year-old David Shapiro, 25-year-old Emma Huke, and 36-year-old Celina Kenyon. MORE: Music agency co-founder among dead in San Diego plane crash The identity of the sixth person killed in the cash has not been publicly confirmed by officials. Shapiro was the co-founder of the music talent agency Sound Talent Group, the company said in an earlier statement. The company's statement identified Fortner as a booking associate with the agency but Fortner's identity wasn't officially confirmed by the medical examiner until Sunday. Huke also worked for the talent agency as a booking associate, according to the agency. The plane was flying from Wichita, Kansas, to San Diego when it crashed, officials said. The plane originated in Teterboro, New Jersey, according to FlightRadar24 records. The plane stopped to refuel in Wichita, Kansas, before flying on to San Diego, according to FlightRadar24. San Diego Assistant Fire Chief of Emergency Operations Dan Eddy said at a news conference on Thursday that there was dense fog in the area at the time of the crash. In air traffic control audio transmissions minutes before the crash, the pilot was recorded asking about the weather conditions, according to The NTSB said that the airport's weather reporting system as well as runway lights were both not functioning at the time of the crash. ABC News' Nadine El-Bawab contributed to this report. 2 more victims of private jet crash in San Diego identified by coroner originally appeared on
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
‘It's just like an emptiness': Friends and teammates remember victim of deadly plane crash
SAN DIEGO, Calif. — On Friday, the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office identified three of the passengers killed in Thursday morning's plane crash in the Tierrasanta neighborhood. All three of the identified victims, David Shapiro, Emma Huke, and Celina Kenyon, reportedly died of multiple blunt force injuries in the tragedy. Another victim, Dominic Damian, has been identified by his fellow athletes at The Training Center in Pacific Beach. Since 2007, Baret Yoshida would train with Damian as his instructor and said they became friends. 'I learned a lot from him,' Yoshida said, adding that he is working to keep Damian's memory alive. 'It's just like an emptiness, you know,' he said. Yoshida saidDamian would regularly travel with his friends in the music industry to watch their shows. 'I knew that those were like his best friends,' Yoshida said. He said he learned Damian was aboard the plane that crashed after Damian's wife messaged him with the news. 'I couldn't believe it was real,' Yoshida said. 'Even now, it's still settling in, you know, because just the other week, we're watching Dom hit home runs over the fence.' Damian, a black belt and accomplished Jiu Jitsu fighter, won several major awards, including silver and bronze at the World Jiu Jitsu Championships. 'He got to a really high level, and he beat a lot of the best guys in the world,' he said. Damian would share his knowledge with his fellow trainees. 'He was doing the same thing for almost everybody within the gym, regardless of who they were and where they were from, so he was definitely one of the main mentors for people,' said Byunghon Lee, one of Damian's fellow fighters. This shocking loss stings for the fighting community. 'This is the place I know I would feel his presence,' Lee said. Yoshida said his lasting legacy won't be forgotten. The Training Center plans to host an open mat at their location on Memorial Day in honor of Damian. 'I've been thinking about him a lot,' Yoshida said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
