Eleven people were rescued after a small aircraft crashed into the ocean off the coast of Florida on Tuesday, May 12, prompting a large-scale emergency response involving U.S. authorities.
The United States Coast Guard said rescue teams were deployed after a plane went down approximately 80 miles off the coast near Melbourne, Florida.
In a statement shared on social media platform X, the Coast Guard said a C-27 aircraft had been launched to assist in the search and rescue mission.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the aircraft involved was a Beechcraft BE30, which crashed into the ocean about 50 miles east of Vero Beach Regional Airport at around 12:05 p.m. local time.
Authorities said the pilot had declared an emergency before communication with the aircraft was lost, according to the Bahamas Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority.
The FAA said the plane had departed from Marsh Harbour Airport and was en route to Grand Bahama International Airport when the incident occurred.
Initial reports from the Coast Guard indicated 10 people were on board and had been accounted for. However, officials later clarified that the plane was carrying 11 occupants.
Emergency responders transported 10 survivors to Holmes Regional Medical Center for treatment, while one additional individual was taken to Orlando Health Melbourne Hospital.
Authorities in the Bahamas also supported the rescue coordination effort. However, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force said it did not deploy assets to the scene.
“Our role was to assist with the coordination of the rescue effort,” the RBDF said, adding that U.S. authorities were able to rescue the passengers quickly due to the crash site’s proximity to the United States.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
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