Four of the six victims that died in a fatal plane crash in Lake Tahoe on Monday have been identified as Coachella, California residents - including a pilot, a former golf professional and a young married couple.
The Bombardier CL 600 twin-engine jet they were flying in crashed just a few blocks from a runway Monday afternoon as the pilot was trying to land at the Truckee-Tahoe Airport, and set off a fiery explosion.
All six people on board were pronounced dead, the Nevada County Sheriff's Office confirmed on Wednesday, and were identified using DNA evidence, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Four of those victims have now been identified as: Bret Ebaugh, the pilot; Kevin Kvarnlov, a former golf instructor turned real-estate agent; and Ryan and Christine Thomas, a young married couple, KESQ reports.
A private jet crashed and exploded into a fireball near a golf course in Truckee, California, on Monday killing all six people on board
Images of the scene show flaming debris in the immediate aftermath of the crash, which occurred in a populated area
Ebaugh was confirmed dead by his wife, Lisa Hollerbach-Ebaugh, who posted on Facebook: 'It is with tremendous sadness that I share Bret Ebaugh, my love, was lost in a horrific crash on Monday near Tahoe.
'To me, he was my best friend, my lover,' she wrote in the post, which was made public by Kevin Mussat. 'To his kids, a one-of-a-kind amazing, funny, adventure-seeking dad. To his friends and colleagues, an all-around good guy and the best damn pilot anyone would be fortunate to fly with.
'Thank you to all who have reached out,' she wrote. 'Your love and support during this time means everything.
'I'm not sure how we're supposed to do life without you, Bret,' she concluded. 'I love you, forever.'
Soon, others started sharing their own memories of Ebaugh.
Robin Swartz, for example, wrote how she met up with him in Seattle a few years ago and he treated her and her husband 'to a wonderful time in the city.'
'As the trip to Seattle was my first flight ever, you allowed me to inundate you with every question I had about flying and calmed my nerves,' she wrote on Facebook. 'It was obvious that you absolutely loved your job as a pilot.'
Noah Wever also wrote that Ebaugh was a 'very good friend of mine at the Home Depot' where they worked together before Ebaugh became a pilot.
'Everyday I worked with you and something wasn't going right, you would always say something that would make me laugh and keep me going,' Wever said. 'I can't believe this is real.'
'Thank you for all of your humor and sharing amazing stories with me, keeping me motivated with my future endeavors in EMS, always inspiring me to reach further into my aspirations. I wish I could've played disc golf with you my friend.
'You always lived life hard, you are deeply missed and there is a special place in my heart for you. Hopefully I will see you again, my friend.
'Fly high, Bret Ebaugh.'
Bret Ebaugh was identified as the pilot in the fatal crash on Monday
His wife confirmed his death on Facebook, and Kevin Mussat made her post public
