The RSG Group, which owns brands equivalent to McFit and Gold’s Gym fitness studios, confirmed its CEO Rainer Schaller and his family were aboard the plane that disappeared off Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast Friday.
“We’re shocked, stunned, and stuffed with grief about this tragic plane crash during which our Founder, Owner, and CEO Rainer Schaller was on board together along with his family and two other people,” RSG Group said in a press release on its website.
The corporate said its “thoughts are with the family in these difficult hours.”
Costa Rica’s Security Ministry said Sunday that two unidentified bodies, one adult and one child, had been present in the seek for the six individuals who went missing.
German newspaper Bild previously reported that Schaller’s partner Christiane Schikorsky and their children were the opposite passengers on board.
The plane, which was a nine-seat Italian-made Piaggio P180 Avanti, departed from Mexico Friday and disappeared from the radar because it was headed to Limon, which is a resort town on the coast.
“Around six within the afternoon, we received an alert a couple of flight coming from Mexico to the Limon airport carrying five German passengers,” Security Minister Jorge Torres said.
Authorities initiated search protocols over the weekend, but poor weather prevented an evening search. Costa Rican authorities said pieces of the twin-engine turboprop aircraft were present in the water Saturday.
The RSG Group is a conglomerate of over 20 fitness, lifestyle, and fashion brands that operate in 48 countries and employs 41,000, either directly or through franchises.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.