Kyla is a German Shepherd who usually happily greets her owner upon his return from his flights over Australia. However, this week, with the pilot away for several days, Kyla has been incredibly sad, lying outside the gate for days.
Around 10 a.m. on Wednesday, June 5th, a small plane crashed near Stradbroke Island (Queensland, Australia), leaving two people missing. Among them was the experienced pilot Marcel van Hattem (52 years old), a Dutch national. He was on a flight carrying a single female passenger (32 years old) when the accident occurred.
Police quickly contacted the woman’s family, a mother of young children. However, they did not know the whereabouts of pilot Marcel’s relatives. Upon arriving at his home to inquire, police and reporters witnessed a heartbreaking scene: Kyla, a German Shepherd dog, was waiting for her owner outside the gate. She lay slumped over, her eyes filled with patient but profound sadness.
Images of Kyla the dog waiting for her owner were captured and widely shared online. Everyone hoped for a miracle and that the pilot would return to be reunited with his loyal dog.
However, on Thursday, June 6th, Marcel’s body was found. Authorities had previously discovered many pieces of the plane wreckage, while the whereabouts of the female passenger remain unknown. Police are still searching for the missing person and investigating the cause of the accident.
According to friends of the victims, Marcel and his passenger had known each other for a long time. That day, the flight was a wonderful gift for her 32nd birthday when tragedy struck.
Around 10 a.m. on Wednesday, June 5th, a small plane crashed near Stradbroke Island (Queensland, Australia), leaving two people missing. Among them was the experienced pilot Marcel van Hattem (52 years old), a Dutch national. He was on a flight carrying a single female passenger (32 years old) when the accident occurred.
Police quickly contacted the woman’s family, a mother of young children. However, they did not know the whereabouts of pilot Marcel’s relatives. Upon arriving at his home to inquire, police and reporters witnessed a heartbreaking scene: Kyla, a German Shepherd dog, was waiting for her owner outside the gate. She lay slumped over, her eyes filled with patient but profound sadness.
The image of the sad dog waiting for her deceased owner in the plane crash brought many to tears – Photo 1.
The image of the sad dog waiting for her deceased owner in the plane crash brought many to tears – Photo 1.
The image of the sad dog waiting for her deceased owner in the plane crash brought many to tears – Photo 1.
The image of Kyla waiting for her owner was captured and widely shared on social media. Everyone hoped for a miracle and that the pilot would return to reunite with his loyal dog.
However, on Thursday, June 6th, Marcel’s body was found. Authorities had previously discovered many pieces of the plane wreckage, while the whereabouts of the female passenger remain unknown. Police are still searching for the missing person and investigating the cause of the accident.
According to friends of the victims, Marcel and his passenger had known each other for a long time. That day, the flight was supposed to be a wonderful gift for her 32nd birthday when tragedy struck.
The image of the sad dog waiting for her owner, who had died in the plane crash, brought many to tears – Photo 2.
Experienced pilot Marcel van Hattem owned two private planes. Having moved alone from the Netherlands to Australia, his dog Kyla was perhaps his closest companion.
Toussaint, a friend of pilot Marcel, said his family in the Netherlands had learned of the sad news. Toussaint said her friend “passed away on the journey to pursue his greatest passion in life.”
“I will always remember his smile, always radiant. Everyone is born for a reason. For Marcel, that reason was to fly. I still remember the memory of him taking me to see the beautiful Queensland skyline,” Toussaint said. In addition, she expressed her condolences to the family of the deceased female passenger and to Kyla, the dog who lost her beloved owner.
The image of Kyla waiting for her owner will surely be remembered by Australians for a long time to come. It is another example of the incredible loyalty of this animal. However, many netizens hope that Kyla will find a new home and develop a strong bond, just as she did with her late owner.