Tragedy in Galveston: 5 Killed as Mexican Navy Medical Flight Crashes in Texas
By Lions Roar News International Desk
GALVESTON, TEXAS (December 23, 2025) – A mission of mercy ended in tragedy on Monday afternoon when a Mexican Navy aircraft crashed into the waters of Galveston Bay, killing at least five people.1 The plane was transporting a 1-year-old burn patient to a specialized hospital in Texas when it went down during its final approach.2
The U.S. Coast Guard and local recovery teams have been working through heavy fog since the crash occurred at approximately 3:15 p.m. local time on Monday, December 22.3
✈️ The Mission: A Flight for Survival
The aircraft, identified as a Beechcraft King Air 350i (call sign ANX1209), was on a critical medical transport mission.4 It departed from Mérida, Mexico, and was bound for Scholes International Airport in Galveston.5
The flight was carrying eight people in total:6
- Four Mexican Navy Officers (including the flight crew).7
- Four Civilians, including a 1-year-old child seeking urgent care at Shriners Children’s Texas and two members of the Michou and Mau Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to assisting burned children.8
? Search and Recovery Operations
The crash took place near the base of the Galveston Causeway, a major roadway bridge.9 Emergency responders, including dive teams and drone units from the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office, rushed to the scene.
| Status Update | Details |
| Confirmed Fatalities | 5 People (U.S. Coast Guard confirmed) |
| Hospitalized | 2 People (Rescued from the water) |
| Missing | 1 Person (Search ongoing as of Tuesday morning) |
“Our team is devastated by this event,” a spokesperson for the Mexican Navy stated. “Search and rescue protocols were activated immediately in coordination with U.S. authorities to recover all personnel.”10
?️ Investigation: Was Fog a Factor?
While the official cause of the “accident” is still under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), local weather reports indicate that heavy fog was blanketed across Galveston Bay at the time of the crash.11
The low visibility likely hindered the pilots’ approach to the runway, which sits just south of the crash site. Shriners Children’s Texas issued a statement expressing “profound sadness” over the tragedy involving the young patient they were prepared to receive.12
