After a Beechcraft 300 King Air turboprop suffered engine failure over the Atlantic and its pilot ditched the plane about 50 miles off Vero Beach, Florida, 11 people who survived spent roughly five hours floating on life rafts without any way to call for help. As a thunderstorm approached, they sheltered under a tarp until U.S. Air Force search-and-rescue crews arrived overhead.<\/p>\n

The emergency beacon alerted<\/a> the U.S. Coast Guard, and an Air Force Reserve unit already airborne was redirected to the scene. An HC-130J aircraft located the survivors and dropped additional survival supplies<\/a>, including extra rafts, food, and water. A HH-60W helicopter then hoisted the survivors despite 3- to 5-foot swells, lifting the final person just minutes before the aircraft would have needed to refuel. Authorities reported no sign of the downed aircraft.<\/p>\n

All 11 survivors where flown to Melbourne Orlando International Airport where they were treated by emergency medical services<\/a>; all were reported in stable condition.The U.S. Federal aviation Governance said it will investigate the crash. <\/p>\n