Megan Hilty Breaks Silence After Tragic Loss of Sister's Family, Corrects Some Media Reports

in particular, she felt the need to address how some media outlets have been reporting the tragedy. On Sunday afternoon, her pregnant sister, brother-in-law and their young child were aboard a small float plane that crashed into Puget Sound off the coast of Whidbey Island, as exclusively reported by TMZ.

"The last thing I wanted to do was acknowledge this painful family tragedy publicly, but it’s come to my attention that several news outlets have misgendered my sweet nephew and some haven’t even mentioned baby Luca," she captioned a picture of the three victims of the crash.

As Hilty explained, her sister Lauren was eight months pregnant with a baby boy she and her husband Ross Mickel had decided to name Luca. Ross was also on the plane, as was their baby Remy. They are survived by a daughter.

"Lauren and Ross left behind my niece who we are all holding in our hearts," wrote Hilty. "Thankfully, she was not on the plane and we ask that her name and personal information be kept private as she is a minor."

To the media outlets that purportedly misgendered Hilty's nephew, she wrote that it's "important these details be corrected to respectfully honor everyone we’ve lost and the loved ones they’ve left behind."

According to media reports, including People, Hilty's sister's family were among ten people aboard the plane when it went down. On Tuesday, it was reported that only one body had been recovered, but that the remaining nine individuals were presumed dead.

Mickel, who was owner of Ross Andrew Winderies, was mourned in a comment shared with NBC's KING 5 affiliate. "We are deeply saddened and beyond devastated at the loss of our beloved Ross Mickel, Lauren Hilty, Remy and their unborn baby boy, Luca," the family's statement read.

"Our collective grief is unimaginable. They were a bright and shining light in the lives of everyone who knew them. Although their time with us was too short, we will carry their legacy forward."

The family thanked first responders and support from family, friends and the public, while also expressing their own condolences to the other families who suffered losses in the tragedy.

You can see Hilty's post and her full statement below.