Florida Plane Taking Hurricane Relief To Jamaica Crashes

News Americas, FORT LAUDERDALE, FL, Mon. Nov. 10, 2025: Tragedy struck this morning when a small Florida plane en route to Montego Bay, Jamaica with hurricane relief supplies crashed into a lake in a Coral Springs neighborhood, killing both the pilot and passenger on board.

Fire trucks and police cars in the Coral Springs neighborhood, where a small plane carrying humanitarian aid for the victims of Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica crashed, in Florida, United States on November 10, 2025. (Photo by Jesus Olarte/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Authorities confirmed that the twin-engine Beechcraft King Air had departed Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport and was bound for Montego Bay, Jamaica, to assist in recovery efforts following Hurricane Melissa – the strongest storm ever recorded to hit Jamaica that has left 32 dead to date.

Alexander Wurm, 53, and his daughter Serena, 22, died when the Beechcraft King Air plane he was flying went down into a lake in a residential area in Coral Springs, a city north of Miami, after taking off from Fort Lauderdale. The moment of impact was caught on security cameras and showed the plane breaking apart.

Wurm was the founder of the evangelical Christian ministry Ignite the Fire, which was active in the Caribbean including the Cayman Islands and had already carried out aid deliveries to Jamaica.

The plane went down around 10:20 a.m. in the Windsor Bay community, near the 5000 block of Northwest 57th Way, just west of State Road 7 and south of the Sawgrass Expressway.

Coral Springs Fire Rescue crews and police dive teams responded to the scene but initially could not locate victims or major sections of the aircraft. Later, officials confirmed that both occupants had died in the crash.

“We have not found an entire plane yet, we believe it may be broken into smaller pieces,” said Coral Springs Deputy Fire Chief Mike Moser. “Fortunately, the plane did not strike any homes when it entered the water.”

Aerial footage from NBC 6 showed the wreckage scattered across the crash site, with one of the plane’s wheels landing near a backyard pool and parts of a fence torn away. Witnesses reported hearing a loud explosion and seeing water shoot into the air upon impact.

David Ubegi, who lives nearby, described the horrific aftermath. “We heard a big explosion and ran toward the lake. We saw all the parts of the plane and… some body parts along the houses,” he told reporters.

No one on the ground was injured.

Officials said the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the cause of the crash. Authorities have urged residents in the area to remain indoors as crews work to recover debris and manage a strong fuel odor lingering over the site.

The City of Fort Lauderdale confirmed that the ill-fated flight was part of ongoing regional efforts to deliver aid to Jamaica following the devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa, which left widespread damage and dozens dead across the Caribbean.

Police said a large investigation presence would remain in the area through Tuesday.