Entertainment

Former 'Tarzan' actor Joe Lara dies in plane crash

Nashville: Acclaimed Hollywood star Joe Lara who portrayed Tarzan in a 1990s television series died with his wife died in the crash a day earlier of a small jet into a Tennessee lake. The former Tarzan actor was 58.

Published 4 years ago on Jun 1st 2021, 1:23 am

By Web Desk

In USA, a small jet carrying seven people crashed into a Tennessee lake known as Percy Priest Lake in authorities indicated that no one on board survived.

Joe Lara, the star of TV’s Tarzan: The Epic Adventures, died Saturday with his wife and five others in the crash of a small jet near Nashville, authorities said. He was 58. https://t.co/s3yx9CJseb
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) May 30, 2021

Born in San Diego on Oct. 2, 1962, William Joseph Lara started out as a model before he landed the lead in the 1989 CBS telefilm Tarzan.

He then played the Edgar Rice Burroughs character on the 1996-97 first-run syndicated series Tarzan: The Epic Adventures, filmed in South Africa.

The actor produced that series as well.

Lara also appeared in action movies including Sunset Heat (1992), American Cyborg: Steel Warrior (1993), Final Equinox (1995) and Doomsdayer (2000) and some series like Baywatch and Conan.

In 2009, he played guitar and released an album, Joe Lara: The Cry of Freedom.

Lara and his wife lived in Brentwood, Tennessee.

According to an official statement, recovery efforts were ongoing at Percy Priest Lake near Smyrna and officials were focused on examining a half mile-wide debris field in the lake.

The victims have been identified as Brandon Hannah, Gwen S. Lara, William J. Lara, David L. Martin, Jennifer J. Martin, Jessica Walters and Jonathan Walters, all of Brentwood, Tennessee.

Their names were released after family members had been notified.

The jet, Cessna C501 was heading from Smyrna Airport in Rutherford County, near Nashville, to Palm Beach International Airport in Florida when it crashed into Percy Priest Lake around 11 am.

The Highway Patrol told news outlets that a witness saw the plane go into the water near a marina.

Following the incident, the National Transportation Safety Board and FAA both had investigators at the scene.

Rescue teams reached the spot after getting information and planned to work through the night.

Percy Priest Lake is a reservoir created by the J. Percy Priest Dam. It is a popular spot for boating and fishing.