By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-02-01 07:36:45 | Updated at 2025-02-01 09:47:30
2 hours ago
A Delaware man who lost his figure skater son and wife in the catastrophic plane crash in Washington DC has revealed the chilling moment he realized something was wrong.
Child ice skater Sean Kay, 11, and his mom Julia Kay, 42, were onboard the fatal American Airlines flight that collided with an Army Black Hawk on Wednesday night.
Vitali Kay - Sean's father and Julia's husband - has broken his silence after the gut-wrenching tragedy.
'The plane was supposed to land at nine, and I called my wife and she didn't pick up,' Vitali heartbreakingly told CBS.
'I thought maybe it was on airplane mode and she forgot to switch it off.'
Sensing something was wrong, Vitali said he rushed to Reagan National Airport. Upon arrival, a police officer let him go through the blocked-off road to speak with airport officials.
'Everyone was sincerely worried,' the grieving father said. 'They deeply were feeling for you, they were understanding of what people might feel who has love ones on the plane.'
After learning that his son and wife had died in the plane wreck, Vitali was tasked with telling his other three children that they had lost their mother and brother.
Child ice skater Sean Kay, 11, (right) and his mom Julia Kay, 42, (second from right) were onboard the fatal American Airlines flight that collided with an Army Black Hawk. Pictured: Julia with three of her children
Vitali Kay has broken his silence after the gut-wrenching tragedy, revealing the moment he realized something was wrong
Sean and Julia, along with several other ice skaters, were of the 64 American Airlines passengers that died on Wednesday night
Julia and Vitali's children, aged seven to 14, were all ice skaters, according to a GoFundMe made to support the family during this challenging time.
'I had to deliver the news to them, right, and that was the phrase I used, "Hey, Julia would want you to do this, to skate,"' he told CBS.
Vitali revealed he met his wife in college and described her as loving and energetic. He said that Sean enjoyed playing guitar and was infatuated by rollercoasters.
The organizers of the fundraising page said that Sean - who also went by Ilya - had a bright future ahead.
'Ilya was one of the top ice dancers in the country for his age and dreamed of making it to the Olympic team,' the page reads.
They said Julia was 'an incredible mother who lived for her children' and made great sacrifices for them.
'She spent her days taking them to training, helping them fight for their dreams, and worked nights as a nurse to pay for ice time, costumes, travel, and coaches. She gave everything she had for their future,' the page reads.
On Friday, Vitali spoke at the University of Delaware's Golden Ice Arena alongside his children as a way to commemorate Sean and Julia, Delaware Online reported.
Julia, pictured with her four children, was described as a selfless mother who would do anything for her kids
Sean's coach coach Alexandr Kirsanov (middle) and skating partner Angela Yang were among the fatalities
Sean, pictured performing with Angela, was described as one of the country's top ice skaters for his age
Sean was a member of the University of Delaware's Figure Skating Club.
He was coming home from the US Figure Skating Championships and National Development Camp with his skating partner Angela Yang before the explosive collision.
Additionally, his coach Alexandr Kirsanov and other young athletes were of the 64 American Airlines passengers that died, along with the three soldiers onboard the helicopter.
US Figure Skating confirmed that several skaters, coaches and their family members were on board the flight, and had been returning home from the National Development Camp, which is held in conjunction with the national championships.
'We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims' families closely in our hearts. We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available,' the sport governing body said in a statement.
