11 Survivors Rescued from Raft After Plane Crash Off Florida Coast

Eleven Bahamian adults were miraculously rescued by the U.S. military after their twin-engine turboprop plane crashed approximately 80 miles east of Melbourne, Florida. The incident occurred on Tuesday when the aircraft, traveling from Marsh Harbor to Freeport in the Bahamas, experienced engine failure and ditched into the Atlantic Ocean. An emergency locator transmitter signal alerted the U.S. Coast Guard, prompting a rapid response involving a 920th Rescue Wing HH-60W helicopter, a C-27 Spartan, and an HC-130J Combat King II. The survivors spent about five hours on a life raft, enduring physical and emotional distress without knowing help was imminent. Rescue crews hoisted them into a helicopter just minutes before fuel ran out and as a thunderstorm approached. All survivors were transported to Melbourne Orlando International Airport in stable condition, with dehydration cited as a primary concern. Military officials described the survival of all passengers as rare and miraculous, noting that ocean ditchings often result in fatalities. Bahamian authorities are set to investigate the official cause of the crash.