Eleven people were rescued from the Atlantic Ocean after a Beechcraft 300 King Air crashed during a flight between islands in the Bahamas on Tuesday, authorities said. The twin‑engine aircraft had departed Marsh Harbour in the Abaco Islands and was bound for Grand Bahama when the pilot declared an emergency shortly after takeoff, according to the Bahamas Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority.
Communication with the aircraft was lost while it was en route, prompting air traffic control centers in Freeport and Nassau to activate emergency protocols and notify the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, Royal Bahamas Police Force, the United States Coast Guard and volunteer search and rescue groups.
The aircraft went down in the ocean in Bahamian waters off Florida, with location estimates ranging from about 50 miles east of Vero Beach to roughly 80 miles off Melbourne. Officials said the pilot carried out a controlled ditching, and all occupants were able to evacuate into a life raft.
A U.S. Air Force 920th Rescue Wing HH‑60W Jolly Green helicopter, operating with the Coast Guard, hoisted the 11 Bahamian adults from the water and flew them to Melbourne Orlando International Airport, where emergency crews transported them for evaluation. Authorities reported three people were injured but in stable condition. Bahamian investigators are leading the probe into the reported engine failure and the cause of the crash.