‘Miraculous’ rescue off US coast as 11 survive crash and 5-hour sea ordeal

Eleven adults survived a private plane crash at sea off central Florida on Tuesday. The twin-engined turboprop, en route from the Bahamas, went down approximately 129 kilometers east of Melbourne, Florida. An emergency locator signal activated upon impact, alerting the US Coast Guard. A US Air Force Reserve team, along with the US Coast Guard and US Air Force, successfully rescued all 11 survivors from their lifeboat after a five-hour ordeal in the Atlantic Ocean. Officials described the survival of all passengers as "miraculous."

Eleven survivors of a plane crash off the coast of Florida spent five hours adrift on a life raft before being rescued by U.S. military crews. The Beechcraft King Air turboprop experienced engine failure en route from Marsh Harbour, Bahamas, to Grand Bahama International Airport. The pilot successfully ditched the aircraft approximately 50 miles off Vero Beach, allowing the 10 passengers and himself to reach the life raft. Rescuers described the survivors as physically, mentally, and emotionally distressed. The survival of all 11 individuals was considered remarkable by those involved in the operation.