LIMÓN (Costa Rica), Oct 24 — Costa Rican authorities yesterday confirmed that German millionaire Rainer Schaller and his family were on board a small plane that crashed in the Caribbean, as rescue efforts continued after two bodies were recovered.
A public security ministry source told AFP that “Schaller, adult male, 53 years old” and five other people were listed as being on the aircraft that crashed on Friday off the coast of the eastern Limon province.
The German newspaper Bild had reported that Schaller, the wealthy founder of a chain of gyms called McFit, his partner and their two children and another unnamed man were passengers on the plane, citing a company spokesman.
The official passenger list gave the last names of German nationals Schikorsky, 44, Kurreck, 40, and two minors, as well as the 66-year-old Swiss pilot, last name Lips.
The unidentified bodies of a minor and an adult were recovered on Saturday.
Some pieces of luggage and plane wreckage were also found in the water 28 kilometers from the Limon airport, the public security ministry said.
Search and rescue operations began after the plane, which was traveling from Mexico, lost contact with a control tower in Limon.
They resumed yesterday, with coast guard vessels departing in the early hours of the morning.
Public Security Minister Jorge Torres said the impact appeared to be “very strong” but that the coast guard was continuing its search. — AFP
