Laos plane crash: Australian aid worker is among 49 killed Michael Creighton, 42, and father Gordon died when plane plunged in river Sydney family-of-four including two toddlers were also among the victims Rescuers are searching muddy river, but say there is no hope of survivors Twin propeller aircraft crashed in stormy weather, but cause not yet known An Australian woman whose fiance died in a plane crash in Laos that has killed 49 people today told how she had lost the 'love of my life, my soul and my future'. Michael Creighton, 42, an aid worker based in the Lao capital, Vientiane, died alongside his 71-year-old father, Gordon Bruce Creighton, when a Lao Airlines plane plunged into the Mekong River last night. Among the other victims was a Sydney family-of-four named as 39-year-old tax consultant Gavin Rhodes, his 35-year-old wife, Phoumalaysy Rhodes, and their children, Jadesuda, three, and 17-month-old Manfred. Heartbreak: Melanie Fuller with her fiance Michael Creighton who died in a plane crash in Laos Michael Creighton (left) and his 71-year-old father, Gordon Bruce Creighton (right), were among 49 people who died when the Lao Airlines plane plunged into the Mekong River A passenger manifest from Lao Airlines identified Jadesuda Rhodes as Lao, but the airline later confirmed that all four family members were Australian. Michael Creighton was an operations manager at Norwegian People's Aid's mine action program and lived in Laos with his fiancee, Melanie Fuller. Miss Fuller, who was not on the plane, posted a message on her Facebook page saying: 'I have lost the love of my life, my heart, my soul, my future, my children, my world and myself,' Fuller posted on her Facebook page. For everyone wondering that is the loss I will live with forever. xxxx xxxx Michael Creighton was a former member of the Australian Defence Force and later worked for the United Nations. He spent the past 20 years doing humanitarian work in countries including Afghanistan, Iraq, Switzerland and Cambodia. Tragedy: Among the victims was a Sydney family (all pictured above) named as 39-year-old tax consultant Gavin Rhodes, his wife, Phoumalaysy Rhodes, and their children, Jadesuda, three, and 17-month-old Manfred Gordon Creighton, a retired teacher, was visiting his son in Laos. 'We have lost a father, a husband, a son, a brother, a fiance and a best mate in one tragic circumstance and are trying to come to terms with our loss,' the family said in the statement. Rescuers in fishing boats pulled bodies from the muddy Mekong River today as officials ruled out finding any survivors from the plane that crashed in stormy weather. Backpacks, an airplane propeller and passports were among the debris scattered on the riverbank where the Lao Airlines turboprop plane apparently hit hard before skidding into the water and sinking Wednesday. So far eight bodies have been found. We don't yet know their nationalities,' said Yakao Lopangkao, director-general of Lao's Department of Civil Aviation, who was at the crash site in Pakse, in southern Laos. 'We haven't found the plane yet. It is underwater. We're trying to use divers to locate it.' Recovery: Soldiers inspect and collect parts of the Lao Airlines aircraft that crashed in the Mekong River Devastation: Officials ruled out finding any survivors from the plane that crashed in stormy weather He ruled out finding survivors. There is no hope. The plane appears to have crashed very hard before entering the water. Some bodies were found as far as 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the crash site, he said. 'We have asked villagers and people who live along the river to look for bodies and alert authorities when they see anything,' he said. Fleets of small fishing boats and inflatable rafts plied the muddy, vast waterway as part of the search with men in life vests peering into the water. After storms Wednesday, the search took place under sunny blue skies. Thailand, which borders Laos, was helping with the search. It sent 30 scuba divers to assist in the search for bodies, said Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Sek Wannamethee. Grim task: A diver clings to a rope as rescuers in fishing boats attempt to pull bodies from the Mekong Keeping control: Lao soldiers ask a monk to leave the crash site as backpacks, an airplane propeller and passports were among the debris recovered on the riverbank The state-run Lao Airlines released an updated list of the 44 passengers' nationalities on Thursday. It said the flight included 16 Lao nationals, seven French, six Australians, five Thais, three Koreans, two Vietnamese and one person each from Canada, China, Malaysia, Taiwan and the United States. Cambodian authorities said one of the plane's pilots was a 56-year-old Cambodian with more than 30 years flying experience. Details of the crash remained murky. Lao Airlines said in a statement that the plane took off from the capital Vientiane and 'ran into extreme bad weather conditions' as it prepared to land at Pakse Airport. The area is known for its remote Buddhist temples, nature treks and waterfalls that draw tourists. Mystery: The airline said it had yet to determine reasons for the crash of the ATR-72 aircraft (above), which was virtually new and had just been delivered in March The airline said it had yet to determine reasons for the crash of the ATR-72 aircraft, which was virtually new and had just been delivered in March. The crash occurred about 7 kilometers (4 miles) from the airport. French-Italian aircraft manufacturer ATR said in a statement that 'the circumstances of the accident are still being determined.' It said that it will assist in the investigation which will be led by Lao authorities. The ATR-72 has been involved in 16 crashes since it went into service in 1988, according to databases kept by the Flight Safety Foundation and the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives. The death toll from Wednesday's crash was the second highest on record involving an ATR-72; accidents in the U.S. in 1988 and Cuba in 2010 each killed 68 people. ATR had delivered 611 of the planes by the end of last year.