Mexican Medical Plane Crashes in Galveston Bay During Rescue Mission

Search and rescue operations are continuing into the evening in West Galveston Bay following the crash of a Mexican military medical flight. The Beech King Air 350, which was carrying eight people (two pilots and six passengers), went down around 3:15 p.m. on Monday as it approached Scholes International Airport. The aircraft was registered ANX-1209.

Among the passengers was a pediatric burn patient being rushed to Shriners Children’s Texas for urgent burn care.

The flight was part of a humanitarian mission coordinated by the Michou and Mau Foundation, a Mexican non-profit that specializes in the emergency transfer of severely burned children to world-class treatment centers. According to Mexico’s Navy Secretariat, the military aircraft was providing critical support for the foundation's work.

The aircraft departed from Meridia, Mexico, the capital city of the Yucatán state.

Witnesses reported seeing the plane descend into the bay near Channel Marker 6, just west of the Galveston Causeway, in conditions described as "heavy fog" that had blanketed the area throughout the day.

The recovery effort has been complicated by both the weather and the geography of the crash site. While the water in that section of the bay is only four to five feet deep, the thick fog and marshy terrain have necessitated the use of airboats and drone units.

So far, rescue teams have recovered three individuals from the water. Two of those survivors were quickly moved to waiting ambulances, with emergency responders reportedly performing CPR on at least one victim during the transfer.

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has assumed the lead in the investigation, supported by the Galveston County Sheriff's Office, the U.S. Coast Guard, and local fire crews. As of Monday night, five individuals remain unaccounted for, and dive teams are continuing to scour the submerged wreckage.

Authorities have maintained a strict perimeter around the crash site, asking all civilian boaters to stay clear of the Causeway area to allow search vessels unobstructed access.