MIAMI – Relatives of the victims of ValuJet Flight 592 are meeting in the Florida Everglades to mark the 20th anniversary of the deaths.
The May 11, 1996, crash killed 110 passengers and crew. The Atlanta-bound plane crashed into the Everglades while trying to make an emergency return to Miami and authorities believe improperly placed oxygen canisters were to blame for the crash.
Before 30 families of the victims gathered for a memorial at the crash site, they all gathered for lunch at the 94th Aero Squadron.
The family of Ray Lathem, who was just 20 when he died, said he was returning home to Atlanta after a layover at Miami International Airport. They said he was doing missionary work in Venezuela at the time.
Warren Lathem said dealing with the loss of his son has never gotten easier, but he said his family has found ways to cope with the loss.
"Grief never goes away, but there's ways of dealing with grief that are helpful, and we believe this is one of the more helpful ways of doing that," he said.
"How do you remember your son?" Local 10 News reporter Neki Mohan asked Lathem.
"Oh, he was a young man full of joy and vibrancy," Lathem said. "He was a great writer, singer. He had a great future. He had been called to ministry and he was preparing for that, and so he would have had a great future in ministry."
The Lathem family has established missionary work in Venezuela in their son's honor.
Also among the victims was Joyce Simonton of Macon, Georgia. Her two sons and granddaughter plan to meet with other mourners near the remote crash site.
Walter Simonton said he's still haunted by what he saw the first time he visited the wetlands. He struggled to describe the view.
"Just vast water," he said. "Vast grass."
Joyce Simonton's remains never were identified. Her son said her Bible and a few belongings from her luggage were recovered from the murky waters.
The FBI is still searching for Mauro Valenzuela, 47, who was a mechanic for the now-defunct airline maintenance contractor SabreTech. Authorities said he was among those responsible for placing the oxygen canisters inside the plane.