Tarzan Star Joe Lara And His Wife ‘Presumed Dead’ After Plane Crash

Actor Joe Lara, best known for starring in 90’s TV series Tarzan: The Epic Adventures is “presumed dead” after a private jet he was travelling in crashed into a Tennessee lake.

Lara’s diet guru wife, Gwen Shamblin Lara is also believed to be among those killed in the disaster, alongside five others.

According to News Corp, the jet plunged 2,900 feet (about 884 metres) in less than two minutes, shortly after taking off from Smyrna Airport near Nashville.

Officials believe all those on board died on impact.

“All indications are that a total of seven people were on board,” a release from Rutherford County officials reads. “All are presumed dead.”

The tragedy happened on Sunday morning, while a salvage operation to recover the human remains and plane debris from the wreckage site remains ongoing.

Disturbingly, according to local paper The Tennessean, Federal Aviation Administration records show none of the plane’s occupants actually had a license to fly it.

Joe Lara – real name William Joseph Lara – played Tarzan in Tarzan: The Epic Adventures from 1996 to 1997.

The show focused on the character of Tarzan in his early years, but only ran for one season.

More recently, Lara had ditched acting in favour of a career in country music.

He was 58 years old at the time of his presumed death.

You can watch a scene from Tarzan: The Epic Adventures below.

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