As many as 11 people survived a at sea and then endured five terrifying hours adrift on a raft before rescuers finally brought them to safety in what officials described as a “miraculous” operation.
NBC News reported Wednesday that the aircraft crashed into the sea nearly 80 miles off Melbourne on Tuesday. The Coast Guard, in a statement, said that all 11 people aboard “are accounted for.”
Speaking to reporters, Air Force Maj. Elizabeth Piowaty said on Wednesday, “And from what I’ve seen, I mean, for all those people to survive is pretty miraculous.”
Here’s what happened
According to Florida Today, the Federal Aviation Administration () said the aircraft, a Beechcraft BE30, took off from Marsh Harbour Airport on Abaco Island in the Bahamas. It was headed to Grand Bahama International Airport when it crashed into the ocean after hitting rough weather.
The aircraft hit the water at around 12:05 pm, nearly 50 miles east of Vero Beach Regional Airport. Following the crash, the US launched a C-27 aircraft to assist with the search for the airplane. 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 and rushed to the area, where they located survivors aboard a life raft. She added that the survivors were unable to contact anyone to call for help. However, rescuers were able to trace them with the help of an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) beacon.
The 11 survivors, all adult foreign nationals, were discovered together on a raft taking shelter under a tarp as a thunderstorm approached. They were unaware that rescue teams were closing in, having lost all communication after their aircraft crashed hours earlier.
Elaborating about the rescue mission, Capt. Rory Whipple said that the people were visibly distressed, since they had been in the raft for over five hours. He added, “They didn’t even know that we were coming until we were directly overhead. So you have to imagine the emotional injuries that they sustained out there and not knowing if someone’s going to rescue them.”
Whipple noted, “As a reserve airman, I truly believe that we have the best job in the world. On someone’s worst day, we’re at our best, bringing everyone home. And then at the end of the day, as a reserve airman, we get to go home to our families as well,” he added.
Cause of crash remains unknown
According to media reports, the cause of the crash was not immediately known. The Bahamas’ Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority told The Nassau Guardian that three people were injured and that the pilot issued an emergency call before communication with the was lost.
Dan DePodwin, Vice President of Forecasting Operations at AccuWeather, said, “There were clusters of thunderstorms developing off the east coast of Florida before noon. Any thunderstorm can create rapidly changing and potentially hazardous flying conditions.”
DePodwin added, “Within those storms, pilots can encounter sudden shifts in wind, including strong updrafts and downdrafts, along with reduced visibility. These types of convective conditions can evolve within a matter of seconds.”
All 11 people were later flown by the Air Force reservists to medical personnel and ambulances that had staged at Melbourne Orlando International Airport. All survivors were reported in stable condition.
