Father and daughter die as relief plane bound for Jamaica crashes after take-off from Florida

Jamaica: In a shocking development, a small plane which was carrying hurricane relief supplies to Jamaica crashed shortly after take-off on Monday, November 10, 2025. The plane reportedly took off from Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, with the incident claiming the lives of two people onboard including 53-year-old Alexander Wurm and his daughter 22-year-old Serena Wurm.

The identities of the victims were confirmed by Michelle Saldeba, sister of Alexander Wurm, who took to Facebook to share the devastating development.

According to federal records per the Associated Press, the plane‘s registered owner is International Air Services, a company that specializes in setting up trust agreements for non-American citizens to permit them to register planes with the FAA.

Eyewitnesses report that the plane went down in a retention pond within the Windsor Bay subdivision of Coral Springs, Florida while narrowly missing residential houses.

The aircraft which was a Beechcraft King Air turboprop and was registered to International Air Services departed around 10:14 am and then crashed a few minutes later. Emergency responders arrived at the accident site around 10:19 am and found debris scattered around the pond.

The small plane reportedly clipped trees as well as a backyard fence before sinking into the water and leaving a trail of wreckage and fuel. It is said that no residents on the ground were injured.

Eyewitnesses described the shocking scene and said that the plane broke apart upon impact and residents smelled strong fuel fumes nearby the incident site. While no large sections of the plane were visible from above the water, the recovery team searched the pond for debris and remains.

Reportedly, this flight was part of humanitarian relief efforts following Category 5 Hurricane Melissa which struck Jamaica on October 28, 2025, and caused widespread destruction and leaving thousands in need of emergency assistance.

The recent plane crash has disrupted the flow of urgently needed supplies to Jamaica and highlights the risks involved in relief missions. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) along with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have launched immediate investigations to determine the cause of the crash. Authorities are also reviewing flight logs, maintenance records, weather conditions as well as the cargo manifest.

Officials and residents have also expressed their shock at the incident with one resident near the crash site saying, “It was terrifying, we saw the plane come down, clip the trees, and smash into the pond. We are grateful no one on the ground was hurt.”