PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. – Two Broward County residents died Wednesday after the small plane they were in crashed in Palm Beach County, authorities confirmed.
Palm Beach County deputies identified the victims as 59-year-old Steven Taylor, a flight instructor from Hollywood, and 58-year-old pilot Gojko Damjanic, of Fort Lauderdale.
The National Transportation Safety Board reported the plane went down at North Palm Beach County General Aviation Airport, veering off the runway before crashing into a body of water.
Officials say the flight began in Pompano Beach and traveled to Sarasota before heading to Palm Beach County.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that deputies responded to the scene shortly thereafter.
Divers from the sheriff’s office, along with Palm Beach County Fire Rescue and Palm Beach Gardens Fire Rescue searched the water for the plane’s occupants.
According to WPBF, the two men were pulled from the water and taken to a local hospital where they were pronounced dead upon arrival.
“The preliminary information we have is the plane departed the runway at North Palm Beach County General Aviation Airport and crashed into a marsh area at the end of the runway under unknown circumstances,” the National Transportation Safety Board said in a statement.
WPBF reported that the plane was completely submerged and would be recovered from the water Thursday and examined by the NTSB.
The cause of the crash remains unclear.