A Polish woman and her 12-year-old daughter were among 67 people killed in an air crash in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.
Justyna Magdalena Beyer, 42, and daughter Brielle were returning from a training camp for young skaters when the commercial airline they were on collided with a military helicopter and crashed into the Potomac River.
The deaths were confirmed to U.S. broadcaster NBC by Justyna’s sister, Mariola Witkowska.
“We’re heartbroken. We’re just in shock,” she was quoted by the news service as saying, adding that her niece had been skating “her whole life” and that her mother shared her passion.
“Brielle and ice skating was pretty much her life,” Witkowska said.
The deaths were confirmed to U.S. broadcaster NBC by Justyna’s sister, Mariola Witkowska.
“We’re heartbroken. We’re just in shock,” she was quoted by the news service as saying, adding that her niece had been skating “her whole life” and that her mother shared her passion.
“Brielle and ice skating was pretty much her life,” Witkowska said.
Justyna Magdalena Beyer oraz jej córka Brielle Magdalena zginęły we wczorajszej katastrofie lotniczej w Waszyngtonie. Brielle miała 12 lat i była obiecującą łyżwiarką. Mieszkały w miasteczku Aldie pod Waszyngtonem. Według portalu Zza Oceanu pani Justyna była Polką. @PR24_pl pic.twitter.com/iNbZqgSCwV
— M. Wałkuski „Zakamarki Białego Domu” (@Marekwalkuski) January 31, 2025
An Instagram post by skating site The Skating Lesson, described Brielle Beyer as “a spunky skater who was said to live on the ice.
“Her entire family was devoted to ice sports—as her younger brother is already a hockey player at age six. Brielle landed a triple salchow to place third in the juvenile ladies’ division at Eastern Sectionals.”
The BBC reported that at least 14 of the crash victims were believed to have been involved in figure skating. Among them were two former Russian world champions, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov.
Reuters reported that Shishkova and Naumov, who won the world championships in pairs figure skating in 1994, were married to each other and had lived in the United States since at least 1998, where they trained young ice skaters.
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading an investigation into the cause of the crash, a process that may take a year or more, NBC reported.
U.S. officials say they do not expect any survivors from the accident.
The disaster was described by President Donald Trump as “a tragedy of terrible proportions.”
“This was a dark and excruciating night in our nation’s capital and in our nation’s history and a tragedy of terrible proportions as one nation; we grieve for every precious soul that has been taken from us so suddenly,” Trump said.
“Her entire family was devoted to ice sports—as her younger brother is already a hockey player at age six. Brielle landed a triple salchow to place third in the juvenile ladies’ division at Eastern Sectionals.”
The BBC reported that at least 14 of the crash victims were believed to have been involved in figure skating. Among them were two former Russian world champions, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov.
Reuters reported that Shishkova and Naumov, who won the world championships in pairs figure skating in 1994, were married to each other and had lived in the United States since at least 1998, where they trained young ice skaters.
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading an investigation into the cause of the crash, a process that may take a year or more, NBC reported.
U.S. officials say they do not expect any survivors from the accident.
The disaster was described by President Donald Trump as “a tragedy of terrible proportions.”
“This was a dark and excruciating night in our nation’s capital and in our nation’s history and a tragedy of terrible proportions as one nation; we grieve for every precious soul that has been taken from us so suddenly,” Trump said.
More In Society MORE...
