Just days before a pilot and his pregnant wife were killed in a plane crash, he shared a video of himself from inside a light aircraft enjoying a ride over rural Queensland.
Rhiley Kuhrt, the son of a Mackay district police senior sergeant, and his pregnant wife Maree took off in the white and green Piper Cherokee from cattle station Natal Downs, in North Queensland about 2pm on Sunday.
They were due to arrive at Lakeside Airpark at Bloomsbury at 5pm, however, the aircraft was reported overdue by air traffic control at 6.30pm.
On Monday, after almost two days of searching, wreckage of the aircraft was located west of Prosperine.
A spokesman for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority which was co-ordinating the search confirmed a QG Rescue helicopter had found the crash site in the Clarke ranges about 10.15am.
New details have since emerged revealing Mr and Mrs Kuhrt were expecting a baby girl in June and were on the plane so she could attend a medical appointment at Prosperine Hospital, according to the Courier Mail.
Mr Kuhrt, who was head stockman and pilot at Nerrigundah station, had a passion for flying and would regularly share footage of his experiences online.
In a post shared to Facebook on March 30, he wrote: “Wick afternoon run over the sorghum harvest and a bit of fun”.
Another clip showed him in a light aircraft with his several dogs in the back as he laughed and smiled into the camera.
Mrs Kuhrt also shared a photo to her Instagram on Sunday showing off her baby bump with a caption that read: “27 weeks now! Getting closer and closer to meeting baby girl.”
Friends of the “beautiful couple” have taken to social media to express their shock and heartache over the tragic news.
“Taken to soon, You will be missed. Thinking of your family’s at this time,” one person wrote.
“You were the biggest part of my life everyday for 5 years in highschool this is absolutely heart shattering my heart goes out to your family not long ago you were congratulating me on the birth of my son and I couldn’t wait for you to meet him rip,” another friend wrote.
A work friend of Mrs Kuhrt said: “You were honestly a beautiful couple and deserved nothing but happiness.
“But that got taken away from you all of a sudden.
“You were going to be parents in a short amount of time I will cherish the memories and moments we had working together last year love you both to the moon and back (sic).”
The desperate search for the missing couple was launched by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority’s Joint Rescue Coordination Centre on Sunday.
CQ Rescue — two helicopters and a fixed-wing aircraft — involved in the search took flight just before 8.30pm and completed an aerial search around the airpark but failed to find any trace of the missing aircraft.
According to RACQ, concerned family members raised the alarm after the aircraft failed to arrive at the airfield at its designated time.
Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Ricus Lombard said search teams had to contend with poor and wet conditions.
“It’s easing … (but the) potential with showers and storms. There is a fair bit of cloud as well,” Mr Lombard said.
“There’s a weak trough just to the north so there is some shower and storm in the area.”
An AMSA spokesman said the search had resumed the following day before the wreckage of the plane was found at 10.15am (AEST) on Monday.
“A crash site was located in the Clarke Ranges west of Proserpine by QG Air Rescue helicopter based in Townsville,” the spokesman said.
“An aircraft located at the crash site is confirmed to be the light aircraft that was reported missing after leaving Natal Downs Station in Queensland yesterday afternoon.
“Queensland Police are co-ordinating with next of kin.”
Police confirmed a male and female “have been located deceased following a light plane crash in Clarke Ranges”.
“Police and emergency services located the aircraft shortly after 11am, believed to be the aircraft which was due to land at Lakeside yesterday,” the police statement read.