On the morning of November 1, Ana María Ramírez Cetina video-called her sister from an airport. She showed her the two children she cared for and sent a photo of the plane they were about to board. Her sister sent back a picture and a video of her young son. Ana María said she would watch it after they landed.
She never got the chance.
Ana María was among nine people killed when a Learjet 60 crashed in Palm Beach County, Florida, while traveling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas. The passengers included the two children in her care, Emma and Charlie, their parents, and family friends. Two crew members were also aboard. Investigators are still working to determine the cause of the crash.
A new life in the United States
Ana María was from Colombia and had studied biomedical engineering at Universidad ECCI. She moved to the United States with her mother in search of better opportunities, hoping to build a future in her chosen profession.
Having her qualifications recognized in the United States proved difficult. She kept moving forward, taking a nanny position while continuing to make a life in a new country.
Since January, Ana María had cared for Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2, the children of technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson and his wife, Helen Sharp. The family lived in Aspen, Colorado, while Ana María stayed with her mother in nearby Glenwood Springs.
Her sister, Angie, said Ana María loved the children and was close to the family. Their relatives later remembered her as a devoted caregiver who had become part of the family.
The last conversation with her sister
Angie recalled that the sisters spoke by video call from the airport shortly before the flight. Ana María was with the children and seemed happy. She showed Angie the plane and received a video of her nephew in return.
Ana María said she would watch it when she landed. After the call, Angie heard nothing more from her sister.
For the family, the ordinary details of that conversation have become painful to revisit: the pictures, the promise to watch the video, and the expectation that they would speak again after the trip.
The Florida crash
The Learjet 60 departed Austin on November 1 and was headed for North Eleuthera in the Bahamas. It crashed near Greenacres in Palm Beach County shortly before 1 p.m. All nine people aboard died.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating. Preliminary information indicates that the crew reported icing and moderate turbulence before the aircraft began a rapid descent. The cause has not been determined, and investigators have said their findings may change as the investigation continues.
“She was truly part of the family”
A joint tribute from the families of the victims remembered Ana María’s care for Emma and Charlie with tenderness and devotion, adding that she was truly part of the family.
Angie has described her sister as loving, generous and close to those she cared about. Ana María had hoped to explore the world and create better opportunities for herself. Her family is now facing the difficult process of bringing her home and arranging a farewell.
The sisters’ last call was meant to be a simple check-in before a trip. Instead, it became a final memory—one her family will carry as they grieve Ana María and the children she loved.
Editorial note: The age differs across reports. Her sister told Noticias Caracol that Ana María was 24 and would turn 25 in December; some other reports list her as 23. I’ve used 24 in this version. The article itself contains no URLs.
The age and family account were cross-checked against the sister’s interview and reporting on the crash; the investigation status is from the NTSB.