By Wendy Anders

This evening at about 6:00, a private Cessna plane crashed into the sea near Tambor Beach on the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula in the province of Puntarenas, Costa Rica, reported Costa Rica’s Teletica Channel 7 TV.

Coast Guard rescue boats and planes were employed to rescue the five people aboard the TI AUJ Cesna 230 at about 6:25 p.m. with support from local police, reported Teletica and Costa Rica’s tabloid El Diario Extra.

The pilot was preliminarily identified as John Saenz Agüero, a Costa Rican, and four passengers, tourists of British nationality, have been identified preliminarily as Leroy York, 35, Kelly Ling, 39, Daniel Hiud, 30, and John Actiw, 24. All are reported to be unharmed, said Teletica.

Police have not yet confirmed the identity of the crash victims, but did confirm they are all apparently without serious injury, though they awaited confirmation by medical personnel in the nearby port of Puntarenas.

The five survivors were transferred from the scene of the crash by boat to the port of Puntarenas, and from there to the hospital for medical care.

Costa Rican Coast Guard Officer Enrique Alvarado told Teletica that the accident occurred after the aircraft left the Tambor airstrip, which adjoins the beach. The plane plunged into the sea about 8 kms offshore, and the craft was not able to be rescued, he said.

Alvarado added that bad weather was the main cause of the accident, reported Teletica.