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Guatemala plane crash kills 10 including Americans

What a terrible accident. I was on the same flight last Thanksgiving going to villages near El Estor to help with a water project in the mountains east of Guatemala City.

I was with the same Humanitarian group. It was a wonderful experience. I am so dreadfully sorry for the loss of life in this plane crash.

I know the husband and wife team, Javier and Walfred Rabanales, who meet these groups these groups in Guatemala City and accompany them to El Estor via prop plane. If you know them, please pray for them and their families.

I hope they weren't touched by this terrible accident.

My dear Guatemalan friends Javier and Walfred Rabanales, a husband and wife team who directed the humanitarian efforts in the remote villages north east of Guatemala City and who died in this crash today, I send my sincerest condolences to their surviving teenaged sons and daughters. Not ontly did Javier dedicate his life to the betterment of the villagers, many of whom were converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints in the most remote areas of the country, he also served church members and others in his home in the Capital City of Guatemala. Walfred, his loving wife who accompanied Javier on these expeditions and prepared food for the American volunteers was also killed in the crash.

We are all devistated by the loss.

May God bless the Rabanales Family and the other passengers who lost their lives this afternoon.

Javier and Walfred Rabanales were killed in the crash. They are my brother and sister inlaw. My wife, Claudia Rabanales and I live in the North Torrance Stake in Southern California. We received a phone call a couple of hours ago from Javier's best friend that now lives in Sandy. He was called by our 16 year old nephew when he couldn't find our number. We appreciate your prayers as we pull together as a family to figure out what is best for their 3 surviving teenagers left at home.

Thal, if there is anything I can do, or the many of us who knew and loved your brother and sister in law, please let me know. Daniel, their son, knows how to contact me and let me know how we can be of service.

You are all in our prayers.

John Carter of Morgan, Utah was a volunteer with this group and apparently is one of those who has died in this tragic accident.
His young wife and children will miss him deeply; as will his large extended family and those of us who have come to love him through personal accosiations over the last several years.

Hal, I posted a blog about Javier and Walfred and their wonderful work. We all loved them so much. Please let your family know of our love. Where do we send flowers? What can we do. The blog is posted at davidgwoolley dot blogspot dot com. Thanks for passing along my condolences and the condolences of so many who worked with them.

I too was on a similar trip 18 Months ago where I met Javier, Walfred, their daughter and son Daniel. My heart goes out to the Rabanales family and all those touched by this tragic accident including the Choice Humanitarian family. Javier & Walfred are wonderful people.

Does anyone have any more information regarding others on the flight?

I know 4 killed (one being John Carter mentioned above) were working for Focus a call center based out of Ogden Utah while one other was also on the flight; Dan Liljenquist and injured and who also works for the company. It was a team the company had sent to help with building the homes :( All have young families.

Dan Liljenquist of Bountiful survived.

From what I understand two of the fatalities where from Rock Falls, IL. They worked for Focus Services as well.

Liz Johnson of Salt Lake City also survived. Her husband Chris is the director of the Choice expeditions. Chris is on an airplane down to Guatemala right now. I do not know of Liz's conditions though.

Focus will be greatly affected by the loss of these great folks. Carter was an exceptional person as was the other 3 from Focus that passed. They were going to help the less fortunate and are great examples of selflessness and humility. I pray the families of those that were lost can find some sort of comfort and know how much the Focus family loves them. I also pray Brooke and kids will be comforted at this time.

I am so sad for these poor families as well as the beneficiaries of their service. There is a reason my husband and I do not fly on the same flight. I don't even like traveling in the same car for the reason that we have so many little ones.

I served a mission in Guatemala and so I feel greatly for this situation. And this just after the cedar city plane crash....bad week for small planes.

Who else survived...who was killed...would like to know.

I know if three people who worked at Focus (a calling center) on the DirecTV project...John Carter, Dan Liljenquist, (who survived) and Cody Ode.Cody just turned 19, I knew Cody personally he was the best person to have in my life! he is a only child...my prayers are with his family and girlfriend (who i also know personally) I work at focus and I want more then anything to Go to work tomorrow and see cody ready to do pre shift, He will be missed dearly and my regards to everyone who lost someone one this flight...and thing you want to know e mail me

I know at least 2 of the victims were sent from our local call center (Focus) in Rock Falls, IL. May God Bless the families of these young victims. Our thoughts and prayers are with you today. We love you Lydia, may God cradle you in his loving arms, and comfort your 2 beautiful children. You will be sadly missed.

Words can't begin to describe the pain this is causing us here at Focus. Jeff, Lydia, Cody and John were people that you couldn't dislike how hard you tried. They were inspirations to everyone they came in contact with. They will be missed. We pray for Dan's family as well and hope he will have a speedy recovery.

I Reed in the press of Guatemala, the information is The tragic accident occurred yesterday at 9.40 am, in a PARE farming village of La Puente, in the town of Cabins, Zacapa. The Americans are deceased Lydia Silva, Roger Alan Jensen, Zachary Jensen Alan Jensen, Cody Ray Odekirk, John Carter and Ronald Jeffrey Reppe, besides Guatemalans Javier Rabanales, representative of the organization in Guatemala Choice Humanitarian, and his wife, Tobar of Walfred Rabanales. He added that it would have been better than falling on his lemon tree, then perhaps they would have cushioned the fall of the apparatus. Abraham Marroquin, deputy mayor of La Puente, have expressed shocked at the moment that Sarah Jensen, claimed to heaven, crying. "I saw when the girl was hinc to beg God that people who were on the plane were saved," said Marroqu�n. April Marie, mother of Sarah, also survived. The corpses of the victims were transferred into two helicopters, at 16 hours yesterday, to the morgue of the National Institute of Forensic Sciences. Meanwhile, the wounded were detained in hospital El Pilar.