A tragic incident unfolded off the coast of Texas near Galveston on Monday when a Mexican Navy aircraft, carrying a young medical patient, crashed into the sea. The accident resulted in the loss of at least five lives, though two individuals were rescued from the water and survived.
The Mexican Navy confirmed that among those on board, four were Navy officers and four were civilians, including a child. However, the identities of the deceased have not been disclosed, according to US Coast Guard Petty Officer Luke Baker.
The ill-fated aircraft, a King Air ANX 1209, was carrying two members from the Michou and Mau Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting Mexican children with severe burn injuries.
The purpose of their journey was to reach Shriners Children’s Hospital in Galveston, renowned for its specialized burns treatment, in hopes of receiving critical care.
Following the accident, the Michou and Mau Foundation expressed profound condolences through a social media post, stating, “We express our deepest solidarity with the families in light of these events. We share their grief with respect and compassion, honoring their memory and reaffirming our commitment to providing humane, sensitive, and dignified care to children with burns.”
The Michou and Mau Foundation said in a post on social media: ‘We express our deepest solidarity with the families in light of these events. We share their grief with respect and compassion, honoring their memory and reaffirming our commitment to providing humane, sensitive, and dignified care to children with burns.’
The crash took place Monday afternoon near the base of a causeway, a raised roadway typically built over water, near Galveston, along the Texas coast about 50 miles southeast of Houston. The cause is under investigation.
Mexico’s Navy said in a statement that the plane was helping with a medical mission and had an ‘accident’. It had been flying from Monterrey, Mexico, to Scholes International Airport in Galveston.
Emergency personnel rush a victim of a small plane crash to an awaiting ambulance
Law Enforcement officers and emergency personnel gather at the boat ramp at Galveston Bait & Tackle in heavy fog at the base of the causeway, near Galveston, Texas on Monday
Galveston Police officers watch the water on Galveston Bay west of the Galveston causeway, as emergency personnel search for a small airplane that went down in the bay in heavy fog
It promised to investigate the cause and is helping local authorities with the search and rescue operation.
Sky Decker, a professional yacht captain who lives about a mile from the crash site, said he jumped in his boat to see if he could help.
He said he picked up two police officers who directed him through thick fog to a nearly completely submerged plane. Decker jumped in the water and found a badly injured woman trapped beneath chairs and other debris.
‘I couldn’t believe. She had maybe three inches of air gap to breathe in,’ he said. ‘And there was jet fuel in there mixed with the water, fumes real bad. She was really fighting for her life.’
He said he also pulled out a man sitting in front of her who had already died. He described both of them as being dressed in civilian clothes.
Mexico’s Marines said in a statement that it is sending ‘its deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this tragic accident.’
Preliminary data shows the aircraft disappeared from radar over the bay around 3:02pm with the first 911 call placed at 3:07pm.
Teams from the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board have arrived at the scene of the crash, the Texas Department of Public Safety said on X.
A spokesperson from NTSB said they are ‘aware of this accident and are gathering information about it.’
The Galveston County Sheriff´s Office said officials from its dive team, crime scene unit, drone unit and patrol were responding to the crash.
It said in a post on Facebook that the public should avoid the area so emergency responders can work safely.
Galveston is an island that is a popular beach destination.
It’s not immediately clear if weather was a factor. The area had been experiencing foggy conditions over the past few days, according to Cameron Batiste, a National Weather Service meteorologist.
He said that at about 2:30pm on Monday, a fog came in that left visibility at half a mile.
