© 2025 Public Radio East
Public Radio For Eastern North Carolina 89.3 WTEB New Bern 88.5 WZNB New Bern 91.5 WBJD Atlantic Beach 90.3 WKNS Kinston 88.5 WHYC Swan Quarter 89.9 W210CF Greenville
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
89.3 WTEB operating at reduced power

Young Waterfowlers Day honors four Down East students killed in a plane crash three years ago

PRE News & Ideas | By Annette Weston
Published February 11, 2025 at 6:39 AM EST
Noah Styron, Kole McInnis, Jake Taylor, and Daily Shepherd.
(Photos provided by Carteret County Public Schools)
Noah Styron, Kole McInnis, Jake Taylor, and Daily Shepherd.

The Carteret County Public Schools Board of Education is remembering four students who were killed in a plane crash three years ago.

They have designated February 13 as Young Waterfowlers Day, in honor of East Carteret High School students Noah Styron, Jake Taylor, Daily Shepherd, and Kole McInnis.

The teens and their chaperones were coming back from an annual youth hunt in Mattamuskeet when the plane crashed into the ocean.

Pilot Ernest “Teen” Rawls and his son Jeffrey Rawls, Stephanie Fulcher – the mother of Cole McInnis – and Douglas Parks were also killed.

The school board is asking people to wear camouflage clothing in tribute on Thursday.
Annette Weston
Annette is originally a Midwest gal, born and raised in Michigan, but with career stops in many surrounding states, the Pacific Northwest, and various parts of the southeast. An award-winning journalist and mother of four, Annette moved to eastern North Carolina in 2019 to be closer to family – in particular, her two young grandchildren. It’s possible that a -27 day with a -68 windchill in Minnesota may have also played a role in that decision. In her spare time, Annette does a lot of kiddo cuddling, reading, and producing the coolest Halloween costumes anyone has ever seen. She has also worked as a diversity and inclusion facilitator serving school districts and large corporations. It’s the people that make this beautiful area special, and she wants to share those stories that touch the hearts of others. If you have a story idea to share, please reach out by email to westona@cravencc.edu.
See stories by Annette Weston