TAMPA, Fla. — Friends, colleagues and former patients are remembering two health care workers who died Thursday morning in a small plane crash near Tampa Executive Airport in Hillsborough County.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said 59-year-old David Siambanes and 53-year-old Dawn Stone were killed when the small plane they were in went down. Stone worked as a nurse practitioner at AdventHealth. Siambanes was a surgeon at St. Joseph’s Hospital, part of the BayCare medical group.
Scott Schiros, a Tampa resident and close friend of Siambanes, said he had known the doctor since 2009. The two worked together in the operating room, and Schiros said their friendship extended beyond the hospital.
“We lost a good one,” Schiros said.
Schiros said that after he heard about the crash, he went to the airport hoping to speak with someone who had been in contact with Siambanes.
“We immediately just drove to the airport to see who we could talk to, or I don’t know, you know, there’s nothing you can do, I guess,” Schiros said. “But I just wanted to talk to the people that talked to him last.”
Schiros said he and his family took trips with Siambanes and Stone. He said Siambanes remained focused on his patients even when he was not working.
“He never really got it off his mind,” Schiros said. “He was always concerned for the patients and wondering how they’re doing.”
Deirdre Newell, a Lutz resident, said two of her children received medical care from Siambanes after orthopedic injuries.
“My daughter is a college or a high school competitive soccer player, and my son wrestled,” Newell said. “And with those two sports, we had several orthopedic injuries.”
Newell said her family was devastated to learn of Siambanes’ death. She said he communicated directly with her children and listened to their concerns as athletes.
“When you tell a high school athlete that they can’t play for an extended period of time due to their injury, he softened it a little bit and said, ‘We gotta make sure you’re healthy before we get you back out there,’” Newell said. “But he really listened to them.”
In a statement, BayCare said Siambanes and Stone, “dedicated their careers to caring and improving the lives of patients and families throughout West Central Florida.”
“Their expertise, compassion and commitment to excellence left a lasting impact on countless patients, colleagues and caregivers,” the statement said.
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into the cause of the crash. A preliminary report is expected soon, but it could take months before investigators determine what caused the plane to go down.
While this is still under investigation, according to the National Transportation Safety Board, there will be a preliminary report released within the next 30 days that includes the probable cause of the crash.