New Jersey

NJ Father, Son Missing in Plane Crash Off Florida: Officials

A father and son who were returning to New Jersey from a Disney vacation in Orlando are missing after their small plane crashed off the coast of Florida, officials and family said. 

Peter Renzulli and his son Daniel, both of Bridgewater, were on a Piper Malibu plane that went down in the water off Jacksonville on Wednesday, their family said. 

The Coast Guard called off its search on Saturday. 

The plane took off from Orlando and disappeared from radar about 30 minutes later, the family said. The Coast Guard said the plane went down after making a distress call.

“The family was devastated to learn that the aircraft could not be located,” said Justin Marchetta, who represents the Renzulli family. “Peter and Daniel are accomplished pilots and their disappearance is heartbreaking.” 

It wasn't clear whether the father or son was piloting the plane, although the family said that Peter had completed more than 30 hours of advanced training in that plane. 

Peter was an accountant, CFO and adjunct professor at Rutgers University, according to his LinkedIn profile. He was a frequent commentator on CNN. 

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