The international gym chain McFit has taken to social media to officially confirm the death of its millionaire founder CEO in a plane crash.

Contact with Rainer Schaller’s private Piaggio P.180 Avanti, which was en route from Mexico to Costa Rica, was suddenly lost in bad weather at 6pm on 21st October.

Two bodies were discovered floating in the sea off Costa Rica the next day, but their identities were unclear at the time.

McFit said in a statement earlier today (4th November): “The last few days have left us shaken and affected.

“It is with great dismay that we have received the sad news that our founder Rainer Schaller and his son have been identified as having died in the Costa Rica plane crash.

“His partner, their daughter, one of our colleagues and the pilot, who were also on board, are still among the missing.

“At this difficult time, our heartfelt condolences go to the families of all those who lost their lives or are still missing in this accident.”

According to German media, two employees of US branches were able to identify Schaller, who was born in Bamberg and grew up in nearby Schluesselfeld.

DNA testing was carried out in recent days.

Schaller, 53, had taken five weeks off work to travel around the world with his family.

On board the ill-fated flight were his partner Christiane Schikorsky, 44; son Aaron, 6; and teenage daughter Finja.

The others on board were employee Marcus Kurreck and Swiss pilot Rolf Lips.

Severed body parts have since been pulled from the sea, suggesting that the impact was violent.

DNA testing is still ongoing.