2-year-old among at least 5 killed in Mexican Navy plane crash off Texas, officials say

(CNN) — A 2-year-old child is among at least five people who were killed when a Mexican Navy plane carrying medical patients crashed into the waters of Galveston Bay in Texas on Monday afternoon, US Coast Guard officials say.

Eight people were on board the plane – four Naval crew members and four civilians, the Mexican Navy confirmed in a statement. The plane had been transporting burn patients, Galveston County Sheriff Jimmy Fullen told CNN affiliate KPRC.

One person remains unaccounted for, an official with the Coast Guard’s Heartland sector told CNN. Two were recovered alive in undisclosed conditions.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum offered her condolences to the families of the passengers and sailors onboard the plane at a news conference Tuesday.

Sheinbaum said her government will investigate the cause of the crash, noting, “There were about 10 minutes during which communication with the aircraft was lost.”

Officials had assumed the plane had landed, she said. It was only later that her government learned of the accident, she said.

“Until the black box is recovered and analyzed, it will not be possible to know the cause of the crash,” Sheinbaum said.

Locals step in to assist with rescue

Sky Decker, who lives near the site of the crash, told CNN he jumped in to rescue a woman trapped in the debris when divers were not yet on scene.

“Everyone was just waiting for divers to arrive. And I thought if there’s a woman alive in that plane, she’s not going to be alive for long,” he told CNN. “It was critical to get her out of there.”

Decker worked his way through the wreckage before pulling the woman out alive.

“The woman was surviving by breathing on a pocket of air that was only about 3 inches from the ceiling of the plane,” he said.

He said he went back through the wreckage and also recovered a man who was already deceased.

The US Coast Guard is also investigating the cause of the crash.

The aircraft, a small twin turbo plane, took off from Mérida, the capital of the Mexican state of Yucatán, and was headed for Galveston Scholes International Airport, which lies about 50 miles southeast of Houston, according to data from FlightRadar24.

Mexico’s Navy said the plane was helping with a medical mission in coordination with the Michou and Mau Foundation, which provides emergency transports to children with life-threatening burns to Shriners Children’s hospital in Galveston, according to the nonprofit’s website.

A statement from Mexico’s Navy shared on X said the plane had an “incident” during its approach to Galveston, but did not elaborate.

Billy Howell, who works at Galveston Bait and Tackle, told CNN affiliate KTRK there was “literally zero visibility” at the time of the crash, adding it is not uncommon near the island, where foggy conditions can roll in within minutes.

“As the sea fog goes and the wind blows and changes directions, the fog does get a lot more dense,” Howell said.

A dive team, crime scene unit, drone unit and patrols were at the scene Monday night, the sheriff’s office said in a social media post. A call was received about the crash around 3:17 p.m., according to the Coast Guard.

“It looked like it would be impossible for anybody to survive. The plane was almost completely underwater,” Decker told CNN.

Officials from the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are on scene assisting the investigation, the Texas Department of Safety said in a post on X.

Mexico’s Navy said in a post on social media it extends “its deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this tragic accident.” It said it is coordinating with the Mexican Consulate in Houston. CNN has reached out for more information.

The Michou and Mau Foundation also said in a post on X, “We express our deepest solidarity with the families in light of these events. 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.”

A spokesperson from NTSB said they are “aware of this accident and are gathering information about it,” according to the Associated Press.

CNN has reached out to the NTSB. The FAA referred a request for comment to the Coast Guard.

This story has been updated with additional information.

CNN’s Alessandra Freitas, Hanna Park, Bryan Wood and Diego Mendoza contributed to this report.

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