Sad news on "record" setting pilot

[Anthony]

I remember this when it happened and the controversy that insued about her setting a record while having an instructor on board. Still sad, she seemed to have a troubled life. Her mother's comments then and now and a bit obtuse.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,338969,00.html

 

[SkyHog]

Since I have such little patience for suicide, I'm not going to comment on her specifically.

But ny prayers go to her family, who don't deserve the pain she wrought upon them.

 

[ApacheBob]

Tragic. Too much, too soon?

 

[Graueradler]

Van Meter is one of the older families in America going back to New Amsterdam before it was New York. My great grandmother was a Van Meter. There was some young girl and flight instructor that stopped in Russsellville for fuel about that time on one of these "record" setting attempts. I don't remember if that was the name or not. I hadn't gotten ito the family tree stuff yet or would have surely remembered if she was a V.M.

 

[ScottM]

Tragic. Too much, too soon?

Yep, I think that is probably it.

 

[Henning]

Since I have such little patience for suicide, I'm not going to comment on her specifically.

But ny prayers go to her family, who don't deserve the pain she wrought upon them.

They could have helped her a bit more as well. The phrases "Battling Depression" and "Didn't see any signs" just don't go well together.

 

[silver-eagle]

They could have helped her a bit more as well. The phrases "Battling Depression" and "Didn't see any signs" just don't go well together.

Like most debilitating illnesses, depression can be a fulltime occupation for the family. It affects more than just the individual but until they can help themselves, there's not much you can do until it gets too obvious (when they can't care for themselves). By then, it's too late.
My sympathies to the family.

 

[ScottM]

Like most debilitating illnesses, depression can be a fulltime occupation for the family. It affects more than just the individual but until they can help themselves, there's not much you can do until it gets too obvious (when they can't care for themselves). By then, it's too late.
My sympathies to the family.

Sometimes it is not even obvious things have gotten that far. The symptoms can be so sublte over a long period of time that the decent into serious depression is just one more baby step. Then BLAM, the worst happens.

My uncle battled depression for over a decade. Many of us had no idea up until the day he put the .357 in his mouth. It just seemed like he was moody. That was 22 years ago and I still think about him everyday and what could I have missed.

 

[rottydaddy]

Goes to show that even outgoing achievers can have demons that get the better of them... as for her family and friends helping prevent this, I offer two points from experience:

-You can't force someone to take meds, especially if they've never attempted suicide before.
-A suicide is almost always a surprise... one of the signs, unfortunately, is often a period of good spirits that seems like a breakthrough, but is, in fact, a sign that the person has made a decision to "solve" their problems.

I'd bet that her family and friends knew she was troubled, but because of her apparent toughness and resolve, assumed she could keep herself together.