The United States Coast Guard located a small plane Monday that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off of the South Florida coast with divers later finding the body of a man inside.
Petty Officer Jose Hernandez told news outlets that the agency received a call around 8 p.m. Sunday regarding the Piper PA-28 Cherokee plane going down about a mile off Boynton Beach Inlet.
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“The person who called in the report said the plane was sinking," Hernandez said.
Shortly before 9 a.m. Monday, Coast Guard officials said they had recovered the plane in nearly 40 feet of water. One person was on board, and officials said Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office divers found the 24-year-old man's body inside the plane.
Officials turned the body over to the Medical Examiner's office and did not release his identity.
The plane was flying from Palm Beach County Park Airport to Merritt Island Airport, about 140 miles north, officials said.
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A Coast Guard helicopter, cutter and small boat were searching the water for any survivors.
No additional updates were available Monday afternoon. The NTSB is leading the investigation.
