A small plane with two people aboard crashed Friday in the St. Marys River along the Florida-Georgia state line, according to reports.
Police in Nassau County, Florida, confirmed two bodies were recovered from the water, but the occupants of the plane still have not been identified.
They were the only persons onboard.
St. Mary’s Police tell me they’ve wrapped up things on their end and FHP is working the incident now. Police confirm two bodies have been recovered.
— Kailey Tracy (@KaileyTracy) June 18, 2021
The single-engine Cessna 150 went down about 11:55 a.m. on the Florida side of the river, between the St. Marys riverfront and Nassau County, where it immediately sank, according to News4Jax.
The plane departed from Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport in upper Northeast Florida, reports said.
Witnesses awaiting a ferry to Cumberland Island called 911 after hearing the plane throttle and struggle to stay in the air before plummeting.
“It nosedived, and within five or six seconds, it went under,” Angela Plummer told local reporters.
The plane’s tail was seen sticking out of the water for a moment before it became submerged.
The depth of the water where the plane went down is about 22 feet, according to reports.
A dive team was dispatched, and Florida Fish and Wildlife reportedly sent units into the area to help in the recovery effort. The Camden County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Highway Patrol assisted, and the National Transportation Safety Board was called in.
Rescue boats with first responders were seen picking up crash debris from the water soon after the crash.
The Nassau County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that only two people were on board the plane.
The St. Marys River serves as the border between Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia.
