A Christian missionary and his daughter have been killed after their small aircraft crashed shortly after take-off in Florida on Monday.
Alexander Wurm, 53, and his daughter Serena, 22, were flying humanitarian supplies to Jamaica, which is still recovering from Hurricane Melissa. The crash occurred in a residential area of Coral Springs, near Fort Lauderdale, at around 10am local time.
Ignite the Fire, the Florida-based mission organisation that Wurm founded, confirmed their deaths. In a statement it said their final journey “embodied selflessness and courage”, adding that Serena was “a beacon of empathy and hope” whose dedication to service inspired many.
Local reports say the Beechcraft King Air aircraft came down in a pond close to nearby homes. No one else was on board.
Recent social media posts by Wurm showed that the plane had only recently been acquired for mission work. He wrote that the aircraft would enable the organisation “to effectively bless the Caribbean” and described it as “perfect for the mission” of transporting relief goods to Montego Bay.
Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica on 29 October, causing severe damage and claiming at least 45 lives. Christian groups in the region have been helping with emergency supplies and recovery efforts.
Sean Malone, founder of Crisis Response International, for whom Wurm had also flown, said Wurm had acted quickly to support communities affected by the storm. “He had a huge vision for the people of the Caribbean nations,” Malone said. “When the hurricane happened, he didn’t hesitate… He really made a difference in the lives of the people on the ground by getting the resources in that he did.”
US authorities are investigating the cause of the crash.
Adapted from CT UK.
