Overview
- The twin-engine Beechcraft, which departed Marsh Harbour for Freeport on Tuesday, ditched about 50 to 80 miles off Florida around 12:05 p.m., according to the FAA.
- An emergency locator transmitter, a crash-activated beacon, alerted Coast Guard watchstanders and redirected nearby Air Force Reserve crews who were already flying training missions.
- After roughly five hours adrift under a tarp, all 11 adults were found on a life raft and hoisted into an HH-60W rescue helicopter as thunderstorms built and fuel ran low.
- Survivors were flown to Melbourne Orlando International Airport for medical care, and doctors said all were stable with injuries that included broken bones and lacerations.
- The FAA and Bahamian investigators are examining a reported engine failure and weather in the area, and rescuers said no wreckage has been found.