ELK RIVER, Idaho — A Spokane father is dead and his two sons were flown to the hospital after their small single-engine plane caught on fire and crashed in Clearwater County.
Clearwater County Sheriff’s say they received notification from the Idaho Division of Aeronautics that an emergency beacon from a plane was going off five miles north of Elk River.
While emergency crews were en route, they received a 911 call from someone who picked up two people along the Basin Road who had been passengers in the plane. The 21-year-old and 14-year-old passengers said the plane had crashed and caught on fire and they were unable to get the pilot, their father, out of the plane due to the fire.
Both the sons were transported to Sacred Heart in Spokane by air ambulance.
Crews used a helicopter to locate the wreckage of the plane where they found 54-year-old Brian O'Rourk dead inside.
The crash is being investigated by the Sheriff’s Office and the NTSB.
Friends and family describe O'Rourk as a family man who was well-invested in the lacrosse community. He was an assistant lacrosse coach at Gonzaga Prep and was on a number of boards in the community, including Spokane Youth Lacrosse and the Chesterton Academy of Notre Dame in north Spokane.
Zach Mallahan, who knew O'Rourk for five years, said his passing still hasn't hit him, describing O'Rourk as a selfless man who loved everyone.
"His departure will leave a giant hole in the community," Mallahan said. "It's still sinking in. It's not something that you can really comprehend. He's not somebody to blame somebody else. He will take responsibility. And just his ability, to forgive and love people."
The O'Rourk family sent the following statement to KREM 2.
"Brian was an adored husband, father, friend, coach and mentor in Spokane. His passion for lacrosse began simply as a love of the game but as he had his own children he saw competitive sport as a means to unite mind, body, and soul on a path to virtue."
WATCH: New video shows plane making emergency landing on North-South Corridor in Spokane
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