A harrowing search is underway in Galveston Bay for the last missing person from a Mexican Navy plane that crashed during a critical medical transport mission. The Beechcraft King Air 350i, carrying a young pediatric patient and associated staff, plunged into the bay in foggy conditions, resulting in at least five confirmed fatalities. Eight individuals were aboard the aircraft. Five bodies have been recovered by authorities, two individuals are hospitalized survivors, and one person is still unaccounted for.
The flight was designated a humanitarian mission, transporting a child to Galveston, Texas, for specialized care. The passengers included four Mexican Navy crew members, two of whom were pilots, and four civilians. The civilian group comprised the young patient, believed to be a one-year-old suffering from severe burns, and two representatives from the Michou and Mau Foundation, an NGO focused on treating child burn victims.
The crash occurred at approximately 3:15 PM near the Galveston Causeway. The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office, with its dive and crime scene response teams, is working alongside the U.S. Coast Guard to conduct the search. Representatives from the FAA and NTSB are on-site to lead the investigation into the accident’s cause. The public has been asked to stay clear of the vicinity to aid the emergency response. The dense fog prevalent at the time of the crash, which severely limited visibility, is being scrutinized as a potential contributing factor.