North Carolina plane crash: 4 high schoolers among those dead, leaving state in shock

A North Carolina community is in shock after a plane carrying eight people, including four East Carteret High School boys, crashed Sunday off the state's coast.

The classmates identified as Jacob Nolan Taylor, 16; Michael Daily Shepard, 15; Noah Lee Styron, 15; and Jonathan Kole McInnis, 15, were among eight victims involved in the crash, including the pilot and pilot's son. 

"When I thought about how great it was to have our sister high schools supporting us during this time of tragedy, my first thought was, ‘We are Carteret Strong!’ But, to see that wave of support that started at West Carteret to grow to the level that it has across the state and other places means a lot to our staff, students, and families at East Carteret," the high school's principal, Jay Westbrook, said in a Wednesday statement.

"We are happy there are a lot of Mariners in the community, the region, and the state today," he continued.

The group had been flying home from a hunting trip in rural Hyde County when their plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, according to the Carteret County Sheriff's Office. Authorities identified the other four victims as pilot Ernest Rawls, 67; his son, Jeffrey Rawls, 28; Stephanie McInnis Fulcher, 42; and Douglas Parks, 45.

NORTH CAROLINA PLANE CRASHES WITH 8 ABOARD, 1 BODY FOUND; ‘NO INDICATION THAT ANYONE SURVIVED’ 

Republican North Carolina Rep. Greg Murphy, who represents the district where Carteret County is located, attended a vigil for the victims earlier this week.

"Tonight hundreds of friends, neighbors, and perhaps even strangers gathered together for a beautiful vigil service on a clear and cold moonlit evening. We assembled to remember the lives of these victims. We prayed for peace. We prayed for understanding. We prayed for each other. Words do little justice to describe the devastation that this small close-knit community feels," the congressman said in a Monday Facebook post. "Yet their professed faith is testament to their strong beliefs in our God. It’s challenging times like these that put faith to the test."

He continued: "It was so beautiful to see that, in the midst of such a calamity, how community comes together and shows each other how much they love and care for one other. It goes without saying that we all need constant reminders of how precious life is and that each day is a gift and a blessing. I would ask that you all please pray for these families, these neighbors, and these friends during this very very difficult time."

The East Carteret High School basketball team offered prayers for students, faculty, the school community and families of the four boys in a Wednesday tweet.

"No one expects to go to school on Monday without 4 of their fellow classmates with them anymore. We will get through this together," the team tweeted, along with a photo of the boys hunting.

The Reimage Church in Winterville released a statement on behalf of the Rawls’ family confirming their deaths, according to FOX 8 Greensboro.

"With heavy hearts, on behalf of the Rawls family, we regret to confirm that Ernest ‘Teen’ Rawls and Jeffrey Rawls were on board the aircraft that crashed on the afternoon of Sunday, February 13th," the church said. "We do not grieve as those who do not have hope, but our trust and hope remains in God, and we look to Him as we walk through this tragic loss for the Rawls family and the other families involved."

The family also thanked the U.S. Coast Guard, the Carteret Sheriff's Office and "all the wonderful people who have assisted in the search operation." They also extended their "prayers and condolences to all the families that have been affected by this tragedy."

The plane – a single-engine Pilatus PC-12/47 – crashed into the Atlantic approximately 18 miles northeast of Michael J. Smith Field in Beaufort, North Carolina, about 2 p.m. local time Sunday, according to an email from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). A preliminary accident notification on the FAA’s website noted that the aircraft "crashed into water under unknown circumstances."

While the victims have not officially been identified by medical examiners, the Carteret County Sheriff's Office suspended its search for passengers Wednesday after recovering their remains and plane parts on Wednesday. 

"We have no indication that anyone survived the crash," Carteret County Sheriff Asa Buck told reporters after authorities recovered the first body on Wednesday.

Health officials in Carteret County examined the passengers' remains, which were then transported to the East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine for further examination, officials said in a Wednesday press release.

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"We ask the community to keep the families in your thoughts and prayers," the sheriff's office said.

The Core Sound Museum has established a fund to raise money for the victims' families.

Fox News' Louis Casiano and The Associated Press contributed to this report.