‘Tarzan’ actor, Joe Lara and wife killed in a plane crash

Joe Lara, who is popularly known for starring in the TV series Tarzan: The Epic Adventures, has died in a plane crash in Tennessee. He was 58 years old.

The actor was one of seven people who died on Saturday when a small jet, which was a Cessna Citation 501, crashed into Percy Priest Lake near the town of Smyrna. His wife, Gwen Shamblin Lara, 66, was also on the jet. The other victims have been named; Jennifer J. Martin, David L. Martin, Jessica Walters, Jonathan Walters, and Brandon Hannah. They were locals who were all a part of the same church.

The jet had been traveling from Smyrna Airport, located about 24 miles southeast of Nashville, to Palm Beach International Airport in Florida.

“Recovery efforts are ongoing on the lake from the Weakley Lane bridge to the Lamar Hill Boat Ramp,” John Ingle, captain and incident commander of the fire and rescue team, said in an update Sunday afternoon. “We are asking all civilian boaters to stay clear of those areas.” Authorities say human remains and components of the jet have been recovered.

According to TMZ, Emergency services worked through the night on Saturday before all the passengers were presumed dead. An investigation is going on to determine what might have caused the crash.

Joe’s brief history

Joe first appeared as Tarzan in the TV movie Tarzan In Manhattan before reprising the role in the follow-up TV series. While he was best known for Tarzan, he had many other acting credits including Steel Frontier, Sunset Heat, Gunsmoke: The Last Apache, American Cyborg: Steel Warrior, The Magnificent Seven, Baywatch, and Tropical Heat.

Joe gave up acting in 2002 to pursue a career in country music.