Ostler International President Gary Ostler, 49, and five relatives set out on Sunday, July 13, from Salt Lake City for an Alaskan fishing trip, but four of the six passengers of Ostler’s Cessna 401 never made it home. Ostler, who was the pilot, is among those who are presumed dead.

The aircraft ran out of fuel and forced a landing in the 58-degree waters of Icy Strait, Alaska. Ostler, owner of Salt Lake City-based Ostler International, a parent company of CertiFit, an autobody and aftermarket parts supplier, had planned to refuel along a planned route. But instead of stopping, the pilot continued on toward his destination, thinking the fuel gauge showed that they had enough gas to complete the trip. When the six men later realized the plane was out of fuel, they managed to glide to a landing on the water without breaking up the aircraft on impact. However, when the plane hit the water, one passenger, Gordon Moses, 24, was knocked unconscious. His brother, Adam Moses, 19, stayed with Gordon as the plane began to sink, according to reports in the Salt Lake Tribune. Ostler and his son, Christopher, 18, escaped the body of the plane but were last seen clinging to duffel bags as they tried to make it to shore. Two of Ostler’s passengers, Khyl Shummway, 22, and Ben Gunn, 25, managed to swim to safety and waited for 8 hours on the shore to be rescued. The Coast Guard searched for survivors for several days, but called off the effort after finding nothing. The small aircraft has yet to be recovered. 

The gravity of this loss is still unbelievable for Jay Sorenson, vice president for Ostler International. “It’s still all too soon,” he says. Company executives have not yet moved forward with a succession plan, but for now, Sorenson doesn’t foresee any major changes for the company as it moves forward without its president. “There have been no discussions about this yet,” he says. 

Ostler’s family held a memorial service on the crash victims’ behalf on Aug. 2. In addition to being a pilot with more than 10 years of flying experience, Ostler also enjoyed restoring muscle cars and spending time with his family. He is survived by his wife, five children, stepdaughter and extended family.