A Beechcraft BE30 twin-turboprop plane crashed at sea after departing on Tuesday from Abaco Island in the Bahamas.
The 11 Bahamian survivors were stranded at sea in a life raft for about five hours after the plane crash. The U.S. Air Force and Coast Guard responded.
U.S. Air Force Reserve 920th Rescue Wing personnel found them and rescued them about 80 miles off the Melbourne coastline, and flew them to Melbourne Orlando International Airport.
“For all those people to survive is pretty miraculous,” Maj. Elizabeth Piowaty said during a news conference on Wednesday at Patrick Space Force Base.
The U.S. Coast Guard Southeast District watchstanders coordinated the rescue.
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