At least five people, including a two-year-old child, have died after a Mexican Navy aircraft crashed into the waters of Galveston Bay, Texas, on Monday afternoon. According to the U.S. Coast Guard and the Mexican Navy (SEMAR), the twin-turboprop Beechcraft King Air 350i was conducting a specialized medical evacuation mission under the “Plan Marina” humanitarian program. The flight, which originated from Mérida, Mexico, was transporting a pediatric burn patient to Shriners Children’s Texas hospital in Galveston in coordination with the Michou y Mau Foundation. The aircraft went down around 3:15 p.m. local time near the base of the Galveston Causeway while attempting to land at Scholes International Airport amidst reports of heavy fog in the area.
There were eight people on board the aircraft at the time of the incident, including four Mexican Navy crew members and four civilians. Rescue teams from the U.S. Coast Guard and local Texas authorities successfully pulled two survivors from the water—a 27-year-old woman and a nurse—who were immediately transported to local medical centers for treatment. As of Tuesday morning, officials confirmed five fatalities, including the young patient and a doctor, while one crew member remains missing and is presumed dead. The Mexican Navy has expressed its deepest condolences to the families of the victims and is working closely with the Mexican Consulate in Houston and U.S. federal agencies, including the FAA and NTSB, to investigate the cause of the tragic accident.
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