Miami ( CNN ) -- The 9-year-old girl critically injured when an airplane struck her on a Florida beach last weekend has died , the Sarasota County Sheriff 's Office said Tuesday . The girl , Oceana Irizarry , and her father , Ommy Irizarry , 36 , of Georgia were struck Sunday afternoon by a plane making an emergency landing , the Federal Aviation Administration said . The father died at the scene , and the girl was rushed to a hospital . Venice Municipal Airport officials reported a plane in distress Sunday afternoon , sheriff 's spokeswoman Wendy Rose said . The pilot of a 1972 Piper Cherokee radioed that he would be unable to make it back to the airport and that he was instead going to attempt a landing on Caspersen Beach , just to the south . The pilot , Karl Kokomoor , and his passenger , David Theen , were uninjured . They are from Englewood , Florida . Kokomoor -- the president and CEO of local engineering firm -- is `` emotionally distraught and devastated , '' his pastor , Victor Willis , said Tuesday . `` Words can not express the sorrow I feel , '' said a statement that was read by Willis . 'Never saw them ' Kokomoor said that he was losing altitude fast and had little time to make a decision . He said he aimed for an area on the water 's edge that appeared to be remote . `` I never saw them , '' he said . `` It was only after I landed and we exited the plane that I realized that there were people on the beach . '' The investigation into the crash is being conducted by the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board . The death investigation -- which is being conducted by the sheriff 's office -- will determine if Kokomoor will face any charges , said Rose . `` I send my heartfelt apologies to the Irizarry family for my role in this tragic accident , '' the statement read . `` I will fully cooperate with the FAA and NTSB in their investigations . '' Family was celebrating wedding anniversary . On the same day he died , Ommy Irizarry posted a love message on Facebook to his wife , as they were celebrating their ninth wedding anniversary . `` Thank you for being with me through thick and thin . I love you with all my heart , mi Roma . I am very happy and ca n't wait to see what the next 100 have in store for us , '' Irizarry wrote . According to his Facebook page , Irizarry was originally from Mayaguez , Puerto Rico . He was an Army sergeant first class stationed at Fort Stewart , Georgia . He was a platoon sergeant assigned to Fort Stewart 's Warrior Transition Battalion , the Army said . He twice deployed to Iraq since joining the Army in 2002 . `` This is a heart-wrenching situation , especially losing loved ones while on vacation to celebrate a family milestone , '' said Maj. Gen. Mike Murray , commander of the 3rd Infantry Division and Stewart-Hunter . `` Our thoughts and prayers are with the Irizarry family . '' CNN 's Kevin Conlon and Javier De Diego contributed to this report .
NEW : Pilot says he never saw victims on the beach . A 9-year-old girl and her father were struck by a plane walking along a Florida beach . The small plane was making an emergency landing when it hit them . The girl 's father died at the scene , she died at the hospital .