Up to 11 people survived a plane crash at sea and then endured five terrifying hours adrift on a raft before rescuers finally brought them to safety in an operation officials described as “miraculous”.
NBC News reported Wednesday that the plane crashed into the sea nearly 80 miles off Melbourne on Tuesday. The Coast Guard said in a statement that all 11 people on board “are accounted for.”
Air Force Maj. Elizabeth Piowaty told reporters Wednesday, “And from what I’ve seen, I think the survival of all those people is pretty miraculous.”
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Here is what happened
According to Florida Today, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the Beechcraft BE30 plane took off from Marsh Harbor Airport on Abaco Island in the Bahamas. It was en route to Grand Bahama International Airport when it crashed into the ocean after hitting bad weather.
The plane hit the water around 12:05 p.m., nearly 50 miles east of Vero Beach Regional Airport. After the crash, the US Coast Guard launched a C-27 aircraft to help search for the plane. The 920th rescue squadron from Patrick Space Force Base also responded to the crash site.
According to Piowaty, a group of Air Force reservists conducting training exercises nearby received reports of a possible plane crash and rushed to the area to find survivors aboard a lifeboat. She added that the survivors were unable to contact anyone to call for help. However, rescuers were able to track them down using an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) beacon.
The 11 survivors, all adult foreign nationals, were discovered together on a raft that had taken cover under a tarp as a storm approached. They didn’t know the rescue teams were approaching because they had lost all communications after their plane had crashed a few hours earlier.
Explaining the rescue mission, Captain Rory Whipple said the people were visibly scared because they had been on the raft for over five hours. He added: “They didn’t even know we were coming until we were right overhead. So you have to imagine the emotional hurt they suffered out there not knowing if anyone was going to save them.”
Whipple noted, “As a reservist, I truly believe we have the best job in the world. On somebody’s worst day, we are at our best when we bring everyone home. And then at the end of the day, as a reservist, we get to go home to our families, too,” he added.
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The cause of the crash remains unknown
According to media reports, the cause of the fall was not immediately known. The Bahamas Air Accidents Investigation Branch told The Nassau Guardian that three people were injured and that the pilot called 911 before communication with the plane was lost.
Dan DePodwin, vice president of forecasting operations at AccuWeather, said, “A cluster of thunderstorms developed off the east coast of Florida before noon. Any storm could create rapidly changing and potentially dangerous flying conditions.”
DePodwin added, “During these storms, pilots can experience sudden wind changes, including strong updrafts and downdrafts, along with reduced visibility. These types of convective conditions can develop in a matter of seconds.”
All 11 people were later transported by Air Force Reservists to medical personnel and ambulances that presented themselves at Melbourne Orlando International Airport. All survivors were reported in stable condition.
