Roatan, Honduras – Dramatic video footage has captured the heroic efforts of Honduras Fire Department members, known as Bomberos Honduras, as they battled the sea to recover the last victim of a tragic plane crash off Roatan, Bay Islands, on Monday night. Their relentless mission in treacherous waters brought the death toll to 12. The body of Nidia Miralda Benítez was retrieved after intense search operations, marking the end of a harrowing recovery effort.

The Bomberos Honduras team, supported by civilian boats and naval units, fought tirelessly to locate the final victim. Nidia had been travelling with her husband, who was heading to his daughter’s wake, unaware their trip would turn deadly. Her husband survived the crash and is receiving hospital treatment.

The doomed flight also claimed a family from Tela, Atlántida: Carlos Eduin Mejía Ramos, Alba Rosa Acosta Torres, Rosmery Nicolle Mejía Acosta, and 11-year-old Karla Abigaíl Mejía Acosta, found dead holding a teddy bear. The Fire Department confirmed the plane carried 15 passengers and two crew, with five rescued alive.

The Aerolíneas Lanhsa aircraft plummeted into the sea at 6:00 p.m. shortly after leaving Juan Ramón Gálvez Airport in Roatan, en route to La Ceiba. Pilots Luis Ángel Araya and Francisco Lagos perished in the wreck.

Investigations are underway to determine the crash’s cause, with a preliminary report expected within a month. The incident adds to Roatan’s troubling history of aviation disasters, raising fresh safety concerns.

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