Overview
- The twin turboprop King Air 300, flying from Marsh Harbour to Freeport, went into the Atlantic on Tuesday about 50 miles east of Vero Beach after the pilot declared an emergency and lost contact.
- An emergency locator beacon set off a multi-agency search that found all 11 in a life raft, located by a 920th Rescue Wing crew training near Florida’s Space Coast.
- Rescuers worked through thunderstorms and tight fuel to hoist the group out, then flew them to Melbourne Orlando International, where medics reported stable conditions.
- The U.S. Coast Guard corrected early tallies to confirm 11 people were aboard and said all were recovered alive.
- The FAA and the Bahamas Air Accident Investigation Authority have opened investigations to determine why the aircraft had to ditch.