In a tragic turn of events, a small Mexican Navy aircraft carrying a young medical patient and seven others lost communication with air traffic controllers for approximately ten minutes before it tragically crashed off the coast of Texas. This incident, which claimed the lives of at least five individuals, was confirmed by Mexico’s president on Tuesday.

Initially, authorities were under the impression that the aircraft had successfully landed at its intended destination in Galveston, near Houston. However, it was later revealed that the plane had actually crashed on Monday afternoon. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum conveyed this information, noting that the cause of the crash is still under investigation. Meanwhile, a search-and-rescue operation conducted near Galveston managed to save two individuals from the wreckage, while one person remains unaccounted for, according to Mexico’s Navy.

Onboard the flight were four Navy officers and four civilians, including a child. Among the passengers were two individuals linked to a nonprofit organization dedicated to transporting Mexican children with severe burns for medical treatment in Galveston, the Navy reported.

Expressing her sympathies during a morning press briefing, President Sheinbaum stated, “My condolences to the families of the sailors who unfortunately died in this accident and to the people who were traveling on board.” She refrained from speculating on the cause but acknowledged the gravity of the situation, describing it as “very tragic.”

U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Luke Baker confirmed the fatalities, stating that at least five individuals aboard the aircraft had perished, though he did not specify their identities.

The plane crashed Monday afternoon in a bay near the base of the causeway connecting Galveston Island to the mainland. Emergency responders rushed to the scene near the popular beach destination about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of Houston.

Sky Decker, a professional yacht captain who lives about a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the crash site, said he jumped in his boat to see if he could help. He picked up two police officers who guided him through thick fog to a nearly submerged plane. Decker jumped into the water and found a badly injured woman trapped beneath chairs and other debris.

“I couldn’t believe. She had maybe 3 inches of air gap to breathe in,” he said. “And there was jet fuel in there mixed with the water, fumes real bad. She was really fighting for her life.”

He said he also pulled out a man seated in front of her who had already died. Both were wearing civilian clothes.

It’s not immediately clear if weather was a factor. The area has been experiencing foggy conditions over the past few days, according to Cameron Batiste, a National Weather Service meteorologist. He said that at about 2:30 p.m. Monday a fog came in that had about a half-mile visibility.

Mexico’s Navy said the plane was helping with a medical mission in coordination with the Michou and Mau Foundation. In a social media post, the foundation said: “We express our deepest solidarity with the families in light of these events. We share their grief with respect and compassion, honoring their memory and reaffirming our commitment to providing humane, sensitive, and dignified care to children with burns.”

Teams from the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board were at the crash site Monday, the Texas Department of Public Safety said, and a spokesperson for the NTSB said the agency was gathering information about the crash. The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office said officials from its dive team, crime scene unit, drone unit and patrol responded the crash.