Nearly a month after the plane crash that killed four people in Guthrie County, the City of Le Mars sent their thanks to the agencies that were involved in the search for the plane and its occupants.

On November 9th, a plane traveling from Le Mars to Osceola crashed in a cow pasture near Guthrie Center after the pilot suffered a heart attack. Those deceased were 49-year-old Edward Ralph Anderson, 36-year-old Patrick Kellen, and 15-year-old Samantha Clark of Le Mars and 28-year-old Tyler Douvia of Merrill. Guthrie County Sheriff Marty Arganbright received a letter from Le Mars Mayor Dick Kirchoff thanking him and other citizens for their support and efforts in the search for the plane crash victims and assistance offered to their families.

Arganbright said he felt grateful for the letter, which he then distributed to the numerous other agencies in southwest Iowa that assisted, “You don’t realize how big of a loss it is to a community, which he stated in the letter about how the victims of the plane crash will be missed, and our sincere sorrow for all the families and the citizens of Le Mars and that county for their loss.”

Initial findings from the State Medical Examiner’s Office showed that carbon monoxide and blunt force injuries contributed to the deaths of the four passengers. An investigation is ongoing by the Federal Aviation Administration. Raccoon Valley Radio will bring you more information as it becomes official.