Tragedy in the sky: the story of a figure skater who narrowly avoided disaster
31 january 2025 в 02:37
The country was shaken by a devastating mid-air collision between an American Airlines regional plane and an army helicopter, resulting in no survivors, said John Donnelly, chief of the fire and emergency medical services in Columbia County. The commercial flight was carrying many passengers, including several figure skaters returning from a national development camp in Kansas, the departure point of the American Airlines flight. The collision occurred when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed into the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., during a landing attempt.
Although the tragedy claimed many lives, one figure skater, who was not on the American Airlines flight, went viral on social media due to rumors that he had narrowly missed the flight. Instead, reports say he opted for a 14-hour car trip as his mode of transportation. Learn more about John Maravilla and his reaction to the rumors below.
According to the US Figure Skating Fan Zone, John Maravilla started skating at the age of three.
On John’s Instagram page, he is a pairs figure skater representing Team USA. He skates with Saya Carpenter. The duo first teamed up in 2021 but went their separate ways in 2022 after their coach left, as reported by the US Figure Skating Fan Zone. However, they reunited in 2023.
The US Figure Skating Fan Zone also notes that John and Saya have placed first together four times.
John clarified to The Daily Beast that he was never supposed to be on the American Airlines flight. Instead, he was scheduled to fly Delta from Wichita, Kansas, to Atlanta, Georgia, but was denied boarding due to a large dog. Although there were rumors linking him to the disaster, they were false. Reflecting on the tragedy, John told the publication, «I still can’t believe it». He added, «I was just with them, watching them have fun and just enjoying their time»
Although the tragedy claimed many lives, one figure skater, who was not on the American Airlines flight, went viral on social media due to rumors that he had narrowly missed the flight. Instead, reports say he opted for a 14-hour car trip as his mode of transportation. Learn more about John Maravilla and his reaction to the rumors below.
According to the US Figure Skating Fan Zone, John Maravilla started skating at the age of three.
On John’s Instagram page, he is a pairs figure skater representing Team USA. He skates with Saya Carpenter. The duo first teamed up in 2021 but went their separate ways in 2022 after their coach left, as reported by the US Figure Skating Fan Zone. However, they reunited in 2023.
The US Figure Skating Fan Zone also notes that John and Saya have placed first together four times.
John clarified to The Daily Beast that he was never supposed to be on the American Airlines flight. Instead, he was scheduled to fly Delta from Wichita, Kansas, to Atlanta, Georgia, but was denied boarding due to a large dog. Although there were rumors linking him to the disaster, they were false. Reflecting on the tragedy, John told the publication, «I still can’t believe it». He added, «I was just with them, watching them have fun and just enjoying their time»
© Kolganov Andrey
