4 Americans, 1 Canadian Die After Their Plane Crashes in Honduras: 'The Entire Town Is in Mourning'
Five people died in a small plane crash off the coast of a Honduran island over the weekend.
Four Americans and one Canadian pilot were on the aircraft, a Honduran armed forces spokesman Jose Domingo Meza said, according to the New York Times.
“We can confirm the deaths of four U.S. citizens in a plane crash in Honduras on May 18,” a U.S. Department of State official tells PEOPLE. “U.S. Embassy Tegucigalpa is providing consular assistance to the families. We extend our condolences to their family and friends, and to all affected. Out of respect for the families, we have no further comment.”
The plane was heading from the island Roatan, a popular tourist destination, to the port of Trujillo and plunged into the Atlantic shortly after takeoff, according to the report.
Police and firefighter divers in rescue boats responded to the crash, recovering four bodies and taking one person to a hospital, the Honduran military said in a statement to the Associated Press.
The only survivor died shortly after from internal injuries.
While the names of the Americans were not released, Honduran authorities said that the pilot was Canadian Patrick Forseth. He was known for developing tourism activities in the area.
Forseth’s sister Jenna Forseth confirmed that he died in the crash to the Vancouver Sun. She described her brother as “well-loved.”
“He lived and breathed airplanes,” she said to Global News. “He’s really experienced and anyone who’s flown with him is really, really impressed with him.”
Forseth’s parents, Larry and Linda, own a resort in the Trujillo area, the outlet reported. Jenna said that the “entire town is in mourning” after the crash.
“He was a pretty darn good dude,” she added to Global News.
The outlet also reports that Patrick was an owner of the Carivida Club Cafe in Trujillo, and on Saturday, the restaurant’s Facebook page posted a picture of their logo with a black ribbon, along with the message: “R.I.P. Daniel Patrick Forsooth.”
While the cause of the crash remains unknown, this is not the first plane to crash in the area.
RELATED VIDEO: Mother and Son Among 5 Killed as Small Plane Mysteriously Crashes Into California Parking Lot
Back in 2008, five people were killed when a plane leaving the Tegucigalpa airport skidded off the runway and an additional 38 people were injured, Reuters reported at the time.
That plane was on the way to San Salvador, carrying 135 passengers and crew members.
The 2008 crash took place in heavy rain and fog from Tropical Storm Alma, according to Reuters.
