Mexican Navy aircraft on medical mission crashes in Texas : NPR

[ad_1] <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3459x2306+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F3b%2Fc8%2F6a9b7b5047b398a912c3854a5700%2Fap25357212797852.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3459x2306+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F3b%2Fc8%2F6a9b7b5047b398a912c3854a5700%2Fap25357212797852.jpg" class="img" alt="In this image provided by Sky Decker Jr., authorities and volunteers respond to a Mexican Navy plane crash near Galveston, Texas, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025." fetchpriority="high"/> On this picture offered by Sky Decker Jr., authorities and volunteers reply to a Mexican Navy aircraft crash close to Galveston, Texas, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. Sky Decker Jr./AP conceal caption

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Sky Decker Jr./AP A small Mexican Navy aircraft transporting a younger medical affected person and 7 others crashed Monday close to Galveston, killing at the very least 5 folks and setting off a search in waters alongside the Texas coast, officers stated.

4 of the folks aboard have been Navy officers and 4 have been civilians, together with a toddler, Mexico's Navy stated in a press release to The Related Press. Two of the passengers have been from a nonprofit that gives support to Mexican youngsters with extreme burns, together with transports to a Galveston hospital.

U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Luke Baker stated at the very least 5 aboard had died however didn't establish which passengers.

The reason for the crash is beneath investigation.

Mexico's Marines stated in a press release that it's sending "its deepest condolences to the households of those that misplaced their lives on this tragic accident."

The crash befell Monday afternoon in Galveston Bay close to the bottom of the causeway that connects Galveston Island to the mainland. Emergency responders and search groups rushed to the scene close to the favored seaside vacation spot alongside the Texas coast that's about 50 miles (80.5 kilometers) southeast of Houston.

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4329x2359+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fd8%2F14%2Fe7feb2f443228f0deac1a974b9a3%2Fap25356844466751.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4329x2359+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fd8%2F14%2Fe7feb2f443228f0deac1a974b9a3%2Fap25356844466751.jpg" class="img" alt="Galveston Police officers watch the water on Galveston Bay west of the Galveston causeway, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, near Galveston, Texas, as emergency personnel search for a small airplane that went down in the bay in heavy fog." loading="lazy"/> Galveston Cops watch the water on Galveston Bay west of the Galveston causeway, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, close to Galveston, Texas, as emergency personnel seek for a small airplane that went down within the bay in heavy fog. Jennifer Reynolds/AP/The Galveston County Day by day Information conceal caption

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Jennifer Reynolds/AP/The Galveston County Day by day Information Sky Decker, knowledgeable yacht captain who lives a few mile (1.6 kilometers) from the crash website, stated he jumped in his boat to see if he might assist. He stated he picked up two law enforcement officials who directed him by thick fog to an almost utterly submerged aircraft. Decker jumped within the water and located a badly injured lady trapped beneath chairs and different particles.

"I could not imagine. She had perhaps 3 inches of air hole to breathe in," he stated. "And there was jet gas in there combined with the water, fumes actual unhealthy. She was actually preventing for her life."

He stated he additionally pulled out a person sitting in entrance of her who had already died. He described each of them as wearing civilian garments.

Mexico's Navy stated the aircraft was serving to with a medical mission in coordination with the Michou and Mau Basis, which offers emergency transports to youngsters with life-threatening burns to Shriners Kids's hospital in Galveston, in keeping with the nonprofit's web site.

The muse stated in a publish on social media, "We categorical our deepest solidarity with the households in mild of those occasions. We share their grief with respect and compassion, honoring their reminiscence and reaffirming our dedication to offering humane, delicate, and dignified care to youngsters with burns."

The assertion from Mexico's Navy stated the aircraft had an "accident" throughout its strategy to Galveston however didn't elaborate.

Groups from the Federal Aviation Administration and Nationwide Transportation Security Board have arrived on the scene of the crash, the Texas Division of Public Security stated on the social platform X.

A spokesperson from NTSB stated they're "conscious of this accident and are gathering details about it." The Galveston County Sheriff's Workplace stated officers from its dive staff, crime scene unit, drone unit and patrol have been responding to the crash.

It isn't instantly clear if climate was an element. The world has been experiencing foggy situations over the previous few days, in keeping with Cameron Batiste, a Nationwide Climate Service meteorologist. He stated that at about 2:30 p.m. Monday a fog got here in that had a few half-mile visibility.