VERO BEACH, Fla. — Three people were rescued after a small plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Vero Beach on Sunday evening, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Marine Interdiction Agents with Air and Marine Operations (AMO) responded after being alerted by the Indian River Shores Police Department that a single-engine Cessna Skyhawk had gone down approximately 2 to 3 miles offshore.

Multiple agencies joined the coordinated search effort, including the U.S. Coast Guard, Indian River County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and Indian River Shores Police.

A sheriff’s office helicopter identified heat signatures in the water, leading AMO agents to locate two survivors at around 9:50 p.m., followed shortly by the rescue of a third individual. The pilot, who reported severe rib pain, was transferred to the Coast Guard for medical evaluation.

All three survivors were taken to Coast Guard Station Fort Pierce for further treatment by local emergency personnel.

Source: U.S. Customs and Border Protection