Plane carrying Canadian skydivers crash lands in Mexico, killing man on the beach with his wife
A plane carrying four Canadian skydivers came down on a beach Sunday in southern Mexico, killing a man who was on the beach with his wife, authorities said. There was no immediate information on why the plane went down, but it appeared to have made an emergency landing and was largely intact, officials said.
However, it fell in a relatively populated section of the beach at the Pacific coast town of Puerto Escondido, and landed almost on top of the victim, whose nationality was not disclosed.
The four Canadians and one Mexican man aboard the small aircraft were removed from the plane and taken for treatment. The Oaxaca state civil defense office said the injured — aged 60, 59, 41 and 35 — were in "stable" condition.
There was no immediate information on the names or hometowns of the Canadians.
The office said the dead man's wife had been nearby but was unharmed.
Puerto Global, which posted video of the crash's aftermath, reported that the victim was taking pictures with his wife when the aircraft came down.
Video posted by Puerto Global shows the plane's side marked "Skydive Puerto Escondido." The website for Skydive Puerto Escondido advertises jumps from 13,000 feet above sea level.
The accident happened just yards away from the water and even closer to a wood beach structure of the kind frequently used in Puerto Escondido for restaurants.
Video of the aftermath posted on social media showed beachgoers carrying at least one person from the aircraft over the sand.
State Gov. Salomon Jara said in a social media post that resources were being mobilized to help the plane passengers who were injured.
"To the family of the person who died, we will provide all the necessary support and accompany them in the face of their irreparable loss," he said.
