Coral Springs, Florida — A small plane bound for Jamaica on a hurricane relief mission crashed into a pond in a residential area of the Fort Lauderdale suburb of Coral Springs on Monday morning.
Authorities told The Associated Press that no victims were found during the rescue effort, and said the search had become a recovery effort.
Broward County, where the plane took off and where the accident occurred, is home to a vibrant Caribbean American community I set to work To collect relief supplies in the wake of Hurricane Melissa. A powerful Category 5 hurricane, Melissa, struck Jamaica late last month, leaving a trail of devastation.
Crews responded within minutes to a call reporting the incident, said Mike Moser, deputy chief of the Coral Springs-Parkland Fire Department. He added that no homes were damaged, but rescue workers spotted some debris near a storage pond in the neighborhood.
“There was no actual plane to be seen,” Moser said. “They traced the wreckage back to the water. We had divers go into the water and try to look for any victims and didn’t find anyone.”
Moser said that rescue efforts ended without finding any victims. He added that the police will undertake rescue efforts, and federal aviation officials will investigate the cause of the accident.
Coral Springs police did not immediately respond to calls and emails from the AP.