VERO BEACH — Two men and one woman were rescued after a small plane they traveled in crashed into the Atlantic Ocean late Sunday, sheriff’s deputies said. The unidentified, single-engine plane was not found and was presumed to have sunk, said Lt. Kevin Jaworski, a spokesperson for the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office.
“They were all floating (in the water when officials found them),” Jaworski said. The extent of injuries was unclear.
The incident prompted a multiagency rescue operation including sheriff’s marine and helicopter units, fire rescue crews, Indian River Shores Public Safety officers, Vero Beach police officers and the U.S. Coast Guard.
The crash happened about 8:24 p.m. Sunday one mile east of 1707 Ocean Drive near the South Beach Park area. Jaworski said the last known contact with the aircraft was made about one mile offshore, just east of South Beach.
Agencies participating in the search combed the area of the last known location of the plane.
A sheriff’s helicopter spotted the three individuals in the water and guided rescue boats to their position, Jaworski said. A rescue swimmer pulled the individuals onto the vessels.
Jaworski said the individuals were taken to the U.S. Coast Guard Station in Fort Pierce.
The FAA, along with the National Transportation Safety Board, were investigating the cause of the crash. Video of the rescue could be released Monday, Jaworski said.
Photos provided by Indian River County Sheriff’s Office
No further details were immediately available.
