San Diego Woman Among Victims Of Washington State Plane Crash

SAN DIEGO, CA — A San Diego woman is one of 10 people believed dead in a weekend plane crash near Seattle, the U.S. Coast Guard announced Tuesday.

Joanne Mera was a passenger aboard a sea plane that crashed Sunday afternoon in the waters of Mutiny Bay off Whidbey Island, according to the Coast Guard.

One person's body was recovered from the water, but the Coast Guard later suspended its search for the plane's nine other occupants, who are presumed dead. The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.

Mera co-owned Pacific Event Productions, an event planning company in San Diego.

On the company's Facebook page, the company's co-owner George Duff wrote, "Joanne was passionate about people, their stories and their dreams. Her bright colors, her love of being connected and her ability to bring levity to every conversation were hallmarks to PEP, our culture and our relationships with you ... Joanne, you are still loved by so many and we will miss you greatly!!!"

Mera, 60, is survived by her husband and three children.

Her family said in a statement, ``Joanne Mera was someone everyone gravitated towards. She was the life of any party and the soul of our family. She was the best mom, wife, sister and friend. Our hearts are shattered, not just for our family's loss, but for the loss we know other families are feeling right now."

— City News Service