Father and daughter killed in Florida plane crash while delivering hurricane aid to Jamaica

A father and daughter were tragically killed Monday when the Beechcraft B100 King Air plane (reg. N30HG) they were flying crashed into a lake in a residential area north of Miami. The pair, Alexander Wurm, 53, and his daughter Serena, 22, were en route to deliver humanitarian aid to communities in Montego Bay, Jamaica, affected by Hurricane Melissa.

The crash occurred shortly after takeoff from Fort Lauderdale. Security camera footage captured the moment the aircraft broke apart upon impact. First responders, including police and fire divers, immediately arrived at the scene, but the operation quickly transitioned to a recovery effort. The National Transportation Safety Board has launched an investigation into the incident.

Wurm was the founder of Ignite the Fire, an evangelical Christian ministry active in the Caribbean, including the Cayman Islands, and had previously conducted aid deliveries to Jamaica. Serena Wurm, following in her father’s footsteps, was actively involved in humanitarian work.

Hurricane Melissa, the most powerful storm to ever hit Jamaica, has killed at least 67 people, including 28 in Jamaica, and caused widespread devastation. Aid organisations have been struggling to deliver essential supplies, including food, water, and shelter materials, to affected communities.

Wurm had completed a recent aid delivery to Jamaica on Nov. 4. Ferrin Cole, team leader for Crisis International, which receives and distributes donated aid, praised Wurm’s efforts: “An amazing man named Alexander Wurm… flew in solar panels, Starlink, tarps, and other immediate needs.”

The charity’s founder, Sean Malone, expressed shock at the news: “Today he didn’t turn up. Unfortunately, we found out he crashed his aircraft in Coral Springs, Florida, and he and his daughter did not survive. We are in absolute shock and disbelief.”

Hurricane Melissa caused historic damage across Jamaica, Cuba, and other Caribbean nations, with thousands still residing in temporary shelters. In some western regions of Jamaica, up to one-third of houses were destroyed, and 7,500 people remain in shelters in Cuba, according to Reliefweb, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

This tragedy underscores the risks faced by volunteers and aid workers in delivering critical support to disaster-stricken areas.