A trip to Las Vegas did not turn out the way Anand Patel and his friends planned it to be. The entrepreneur, who boarded a private jet with popular Instagram model Mariah Coogan, was identified as one of the six people who died after the plane crashed into TPC Scottsdale Champions Golf Course late Monday.
The 26-year-old's twin brother Akash Patel confirmed his death and told The Republic that Anand was "an entrepreneur with lots of energy and lots of charisma." The two came to the US from India to attend college in 2009. Anand was called "Happy" by his friends.
Patel shared that his brother died doing what he loved: traveling and having fun with his friends.
"My mom called my brother's cellphone, and a police officer answered and said they found the plane at the crash site," Akash told FOX 10.
AZ Central reports that Anand lived in Oklahoma and co-founded a clothing line. He also worked as an event promoter. "My brother was taken away from us doing what he loved to do the most, which was spending time with his friends and flying," Akash said. He added that Anand lived a "celebrity life" as an "Instagram star."
I have never felt so empty ? I lost my only brother - my young and dynamic 26-year-old twin last night to a plane crash in Scottsdale, Arizona. He was a point of light who brought happiness to thousands around the world. RIP Anand Happy Patel 4.9.18
— Akash Patel (@speakerakash) April 10, 2018
I love you ❤️ pic.twitter.com/5tqAYm8Woj
Anand was with his friend Mariah Sunshine Coogan, another popular Instagram model who died in the crash. Coogan was an Instagram model who had over 28,000 followers. She was a horse trainer before she opted to take up modeling.
Mariah recently shifted into a modeling house in Hollywood and was in Scottdale visiting the Phoenix Lights Festival. Based on her Instagram posts, it's safe to say that she was an avid traveler. She posted pictures from Las Vegas, Puerto Rico, and Key West, Hollywood Life reports.
Apart from Mariah and Anand, Helena Lagos (22), James Pedroza (28), Erik Valente (26), and Iris Rodriguez Garcia (23) were on board. The plane crashed 15 minutes after takeoff.
Moments before the takeoff, Mariah had shared a video showing how excited she was to leave for Las Vegas.
CBS News reports that Pedroza was the pilot of the plane. Just before the crash, the air traffic controller asked him, "Are you experiencing any difficulty?" The 28-year-old replied, "Uh, we're good, we're just a training lesson."
