Description

Christian Kath departed St. Petersburg, FL via airplane on 12/3/22 at approximately 16:42 and arrived at Venice Airport in Venice, FL at 17:15 the same date with his wife and daughter. Christian Kath was the pilot of the aircraft. The family went to a local restaurant (Sharky's on the Pier) and then returned back to the Venice Airport at approximately 19:20 on 12/3/22 as evidenced by video collected in the investigation. Christian Kath's airplane was observed via camera video footage taking off from the Venice Airport at approximately 19:37 on 12/3/22. On 12/4/22 at approximately 10:18, Venice Police Department was contacted by the Federal Aviation Administration requesting assistance in checking for Christian Kath's airplane at Venice Airport. Air traffic control in Tampa confirmed take off from the airfield on 12/3/22 at approximately 19:37 before losing contact. The plane was due at Albert Whitted Airport in St. Petersburg, FL and did not arrive. As this call for assistance was underway, Venice Fire Rescue (VFR), Venice Police Department (VPD), Florida Fish and Wildlife (FWC) and Sarasota County Sheriff's Office (SSO) marine units were responding to a water rescue/recovery of a deceased female found by a dive charter boat approximately 2 miles from the Venice shore. At this location an aviation headset was also found in the water in proximity to the body. Based on this information a multi-agency search effort and investigation were initiated. The initial deceased female victim was recovered and transported to the VPD Marine Patrol Dock and received by the Medical Examiner's Office (ME) and later identified as the wife of Christian Kath. At 14:11 on 12/3/22 a portion of the airplane wreckage was located approximately. 3 miles off shore in 15 feet of water, spotted from the air by SSO helicopter unit Air 2. Resources were directed to this location to focus recovery efforts. The SSO SURF unit (dive team) arrived on scene and confirmed the partial wreckage of a plane at the location. Notification was received that a second female victim was located, deceased, inside this portion of the plane and would later be identified as the daughter of Christian Kath. Exhaustive search efforts were taken to locate Christian Kath during the investigation however his person nor any remains relative to Christian Kath have been located.