Naples community grieves Ryan Cody's death in Collier County plane crash

COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. (WINK) — A plane crash in the Ten Thousand Islands on Sunday claimed the life of 42-year-old Ryan Cody, a passenger on the flight. The tragedy unfolded when the plane went down in the water.

Colleen Grady, a friend and colleague of Cody's for the past five years at Saint Finbarr Catholic Church in Naples, spoke with WINK News about her reaction to the devastating news.

"I was devastated, just in my mind I kept saying, my brother, my brother, you know, and I still can't believe it's real," said Grady.

Richard Bernal-Silva, a church member and friend, expressed sorrow for the community.

"I'm truly sorry for the Catholic community because we did lose one of the great Christians," said Bernal-Silva.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported that the plane crashed under unknown circumstances, overturned in the water, and became partially submerged. The aircraft, owned by Black Dog Holding Inc. out of New York, was towed out of the water on Monday and moved to a secure facility for further evaluation.

Grady recalled a recent conversation she had with Cody about the afterlife.

"I'm wondering if I'm going to be in heaven soon, or it's going to be a long time before I get to heaven. And I said something, well, I hope you're around for a while, you know? But he said I'd be ready to go to heaven," said Grady.

She also emphasized the impact Cody had on those around him.

"I think there's going to be a lot of people thinking that they lost an angel," said Grady.

The church plans to hold a vigil in Cody's honor on Thursday at 6 p.m.

"We'd rather pray with him than for him, you know. But I know he's praying for us," said Grady.

The NTSB is leading the investigation into the crash. The Collier County Sheriff's Office identified the pilot as William Goodrich. Efforts are ongoing to determine Goodrich's condition and the cause of the crash.

You can listen to the full 911 calls down below.