Smartwatch Helps Rescuers Find Victims in Fatal Plane Crash in Montana

A smartwatch is said to have helped authorities locate three people who were killed in a plane crash in Montana.

Authorities in West Yellowstone were alerted to a possible plane crash around 1:40 p.m. local time on Friday, July 18, according to a news release from the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO).

Three people were said to be on the plane that disappeared after it took off from the West Yellowstone Airport just before midnight Thursday, July 17.

Authorities used data from the smartwatch of one of the plane’s occupants to track down the missing aircraft, according to the sheriff’s office. 

Just before 2:15 p.m., two search planes “confirmed the plane had been located” in “dense timber” just south of West Yellowstone near South Plateau Road.

The GCSO said its Search and Rescue (SAR) teams responded to the scene and located the downed airplane. They also confirmed that all three people aboard the aircraft had died.

The victims have been identified as 60-year-old Rodney Conover and 23-year-old Madison Conover, of Tennessee, as well as 55-year-old Kurt Enoch Robey, of Utah. 

Enoch died “doing what he loved,” according to Zoë Spottiswood, who organized a GoFundMe campaign following his death in the crash.

Brooke Larson Robey, Enoch’s wife, told NBC affiliate KSL-TV that her husband was pursuing a dream of becoming a commercial pilot. She said she last saw Enoch as he was preparing to leave to get more flying hours.

“He came home and grabbed me, put his hands on my face and said, ‘Brooke, look me in the eyes. I’m so happy. I’m so happy when I fly. Thank you for letting me live out my dream. I’m going to take good care of us and provide us with a flying career.’ I just never expected this to ever happen,” she explained.

According to a post on Brooke’s Facebook page, Enoch was a father of four kids and a stepfather to two others. He was also a grandfather of three and the son of a professional pilot.

Enoch was a “blessed” member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, according to the post. He was also said to have “loved the outdoors” and enjoyed “taking his family with him on his outdoor excursions.”

Chris Kyler, Robey’s best friend, described him as “the kindest person” with a “heart of gold,” according to KSL-TV. “He knew people all over the world,” Kyler said. “I actually don’t know anyone more traveled than he was. He made friends wherever he went.”

GPS data showed the plane involved in the crash took off around 11:54 p.m. on Thursday, according to KSL-TV.

There were gusty winds and chilly temperatures in the area when the crash occurred, according to data from the National Weather Service (NWS).

Kyler told KSL-TV that the three people aboard the plane were “experienced pilots,” but said he did not know “who was flying or who was in charge” at the time of the crash.

But Kyler insisted Robey would not have taken off in bad weather. “That’s rule number one for him,” he told KSL-TV. 

The victims of the crash were removed from the plane and turned over to a Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office deputy coroner, according to the GCSO.

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Sheriff Dan Springer thanked all of the agencies that assisted with the response to the crash. He also expressed his deepest condolences to the Conover and Robey families.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the crash, according to the GCSO. The two agencies did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

A funeral for Enoch will be held on Monday, July 28, according to the post on his wife’s Facebook page.