At Least Five Killed After Mexican Navy Medical Flight Crashes Near Texas Coast
At least five people, including a young child, have died after a Mexican Navy plane on a medical mission crashed into Galveston Bay, Texas, during heavy fog. The small aircraft went down on Monday afternoon while approaching Scholes International Airport near Galveston. Flight tracking data shows it was last detected over the bay at 15:01 local time. The plane had taken off from Mérida in Mexico’s Yucatán state and was carrying eight people in total.
The aircraft was flying as part of a medical mission coordinated with the Michou y Mau Foundation, a nonprofit that helps transport children with severe burns to Shriners Children’s Hospital in Galveston. Mexico’s Navy said four of those on board were naval crew members and four were civilians, including a child. Two people survived the crash and were pulled from the water alive, while one person is still missing.
US Coast Guard officials confirmed the death toll and said the cause of the crash is now under investigation. Teams from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are assisting at the scene.
Dramatic rescue efforts unfolded shortly after the crash. Sky Decker, a local yacht captain, said he helped police reach the wreckage and jumped into the water to assist before dive teams arrived. “I couldn't believe. She had maybe three inches of air gap to breathe in,” he said about an injured passenger who was trapped in the wreckage. “And there was jet fuel in there mixed with the water, fumes real bad. She was really fighting for her life.”
Decker later told US media that waiting was not an option. “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 said. “It was critical to get her out of there.”
Video from the scene showed the plane largely submerged, with rescue crews searching through debris in thick fog. Witnesses described near-zero visibility at the time of the crash, a condition that is common along the coast. A National Weather Service meteorologist said fog had reduced visibility to about half a mile earlier that afternoon.
In a statement, Mexico’s Navy said the aircraft had an “incident” during its approach to Galveston and offered “its deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this tragic accident.” The service said it is working with the Mexican consulate in Houston.
