NEW YORK — US actor Joe Lara, best known for playing "Tarzan", is presumed dead after a plane crash in Tennessee.

The 58-year-old is among seven people believed killed when a light aircraft crashed into a lake near the town of Smyrna on Saturday.

His dietician wife, Gwen Shamblin Lara, who founded a weight-loss church, is also among the victims.

The US National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the crash.

A registered dietician, Lara created the Weigh Down Diet, which encouraged dieters to strengthen their faith in God to lose weight. In 1998, Lara told CNN's Larry King that she believed God had led her to become a dietician.

The plane was bound for Florida's Palm Beach International Airport when it crashed, Rutherford County spokesperson Ashley McDonald said.

The aircraft was registered to JL & GL Productions LP, located in Bradwell, Tennessee, according to a Federal Aviation Administration registry. JL & GL Productions LP was owned by Gwen Shamblin Lara, according to the Tennessee Secretary of State's website.

Dive teams have recovered several components of the plane and human remains from the lake, officials said on Sunday.

The debris field is about a half-mile wide, Rutherford County Fire Rescue Capt. John Ingle said.

Operations at the crash site stopped on Sunday night and recovery and investigation efforts will resume Monday morning, a news release from the county government said Sunday night.

"On behalf of all agencies that have responded or contributed to this incident in any way, we extend our sincere condolences to the families and friends affected by this tragedy," Rutherford County Fire Rescue Captain Joshua Sanders said in the release. "We are committed to working with our federal partners to do everything we can to bring closure to those impacted by this incident." — Agencies