At least five people have died following a crash near Galveston, Texas, on Monday of a Mexican Navy plane carrying a child burn victim and members of a nonprofit medical organization.
The aircraft was conducting a medical mission on behalf of the Michou y Mau Foundation, an organization that provides care to Mexican children with life-threatening burns.
Four of the people on board were Navy officers, and four were civilians, including the child, Mexico’s Navy said in a statement to The Associated Press. Two of the passengers were reportedly from the Michou y Mau Foundation.
U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Luke Baker said in an early report that at least five on board had died, but did not identify the deceased.
One person remains missing, and two others were rescued alive, Mexico’s Navy Ministry reported in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
The plane was last recorded at 15:01 local time over Galveston Bay, around 50 miles from Houston, according to data from the flight tracking website Flight Radar.
Video footage shared with The Associated Press shows the wreckage of the plane in the water. Air traffic controllers lost communication with the plane for about 10 minutes before it crashed, according to AP.
Search and rescue operations took place following the crash in coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard, the Mexican Naval Ministry reported.
Sky Decker, a professional yacht captain who lives close to the crash site, said he took two police officers to the site of the almost submerged plane before diving in and finding a badly injured woman trapped, who authorities were able to save.
Video footage taken close to the nearby Scholes International Airport showed rescuers working in dense fog.
It is not yet certain whether the severe foggy conditions had a role in the crash. The cause is under investigation.
A spokesperson from the National Transportation Safety Board said they are “aware of this accident and are gathering information about it.”
“We express our deepest solidarity with the families in light of these events,” the Michou y Mau Foundation said in a statement on X. “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.”
With reports from BBC News, NPR and The Associated Press
