A tragic incident involving a Mexican Navy aircraft claimed the lives of five individuals, including a young child, when it crashed into the ocean near the Texas coastline.

The King Air ANX 1209, which was transporting a pediatric medical patient, went down in turbulent waters off Galveston on Monday.

Rescue teams managed to save two individuals from the tumultuous sea, while another person is still unaccounted for.

On Tuesday, the US Coast Guard confirmed that a two-year-old was among those who perished in the crash.

The aircraft, a twin-turboprop, had eight occupants in total—four from the Mexican Navy and four civilians, as detailed in a statement by Mexico’s naval authorities.

While the names of those involved in the accident have not been disclosed, the status of the two survivors is yet to be reported.

‘It looked like it would be impossible for anybody to survive,’ Sky Decker, a professional captain who lives about a mile from the crash site and rushed out in his boat to help, told CNN. ‘The plane was almost completely underwater.’

Among those aboard the aircraft were two members of the Michou and Mau Foundation, a nonprofit that aids Mexican children suffering from severe burns. 

The group was believed to be en route to Shriners Children’s Hospital in Galveston for life-saving burn treatment. 

A two-year-old child was identified as one of the five victims killed after a Mexican Navy plane plunged into the ocean off the Texas coast on Monday

The aircraft carrying a child medical patient plunged into the rough waters off the Galveston coast, killing at least five people. Two others were pulled from the sea alive, while one remains missing 

The twin-turboprop was carrying four members of the Mexican Navy and four civilians

The plane went down on Monday afternoon near the base of a causeway off the Texas coast near Galveston, about 50 miles southeast of Houston. Investigators are still working to determine what caused the tragedy. 

Mexico’s Navy said the plane, which was on a medical mission, was involved in an ‘accident’. It had been traveling from Monterrey, Mexico, to Scholes International Airport in Galveston. 

It pledged to investigate the cause and is aiding local authorities in the search and rescue efforts.

Moments after the crash, Decker said he picked up two police officers, who led him through thick fog to a plane almost entirely submerged. He plunged into the water and found a severely injured woman pinned beneath chairs and other debris.

‘I couldn’t believe. She had maybe three inches of air gap to breathe in,’ Decker said. 

‘And there was jet fuel in there mixed with the water, fumes real bad,’ he added. ‘She was really fighting for her life.’ 

The professional yachter said he also pulled a man from the wreckage, who had already died, and described both victims as wearing civilian clothes. 

Preliminary data indicates the aircraft vanished from radar over the bay at approximately 3:02pm, with the first 911 call following just five minutes later. 

The identities of the crash victims have not been released and the condition of the two survivors remains unclear

Among those aboard the aircraft were two members of the Michou and Mau Foundation, a nonprofit that aids Mexican children suffering from severe burns

Mexico’s Navy said the plane, which was on a medical mission, was involved in an ‘accident’. The crash remains under investigation

Almost immediately, teams from the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board arrived at the crash site to investigate, the Texas Department of Public Safety said on X. 

Officials from the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office – including the dive team, crime scene unit, drone unit and patrol – also rushed to the scene of the crash, the office said. 

It is not yet known if weather played a role in the crash. The region had been enveloped in fog in recent days, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Cameron Batiste. 

Around 2:30pm Monday afternoon, dense fog settled in and limited the visibility to only half a mile. 

In response to the fatal crash, the Michou and Mau Foundation said in a social media post: ‘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.’

Mexico’s Navy also released a statement extending its, ‘deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this tragic accident’.