Plane Crash Claims Lives of Missionary Father and Daughter Heading to Jamaica

Milton Quintanilla

Audio By Carbonatix

By Milton Quintanilla, Crosswalk.com

A Christian missionary father, Alexander Wurm, and his daughter, Serena Wurm, were killed in a small plane crash in a small Florida neighborhood on Monday morning as they were traveling to Jamaica for a hurricane relief mission.

The pair, Ignite the Fire founder Alexander Wurm, 53, and his daughter Serena Wurm, 22, were on a Beechcraft King Air plane when it crashed into a pond in a residential area of the Fort Lauderdale suburb of Coral Springs, shortly after takeoff from Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, Monday morning, CBN News reported. The plan narrowly missed homes at the time of the crash, and no other victims were reported.

“Together, their final journey embodied selflessness and courage, reminding us of the power of service and love,” the statement posted on the ministry’s social media page reads.

“Rest in peace, Alexander and Serena — your light endures in all whose lives you changed.”

According to a video statement posted online by Crisis Response International, Alexander Wurm had assisted in delivering medical supplies, water filters, and StarLink satellite internet equipment to Jamaica in recent weeks following Hurricane Melissa.

“What I can tell you about Alex is that he had a huge vision for the people of the Caribbean nations. And when this hurricane happened, he didn’t hesitate. He sprang into action and did what he could," Crisis Response International founder Sean Malone said.

“He really made a difference in the lives of the people on the ground by getting the resources in that he did. He saved lives and he gave his life," Malone added.

The plane was manufactured in 1976, and its registered owner is listed as International Air Services. This company promotes itself as specializing in trust agreements for non-U.S. citizens that allow them to register their aircraft with the FAA..

In recent days, Alexander Wurm shared on social media that he acquired the plane to expand his missionary work across the Caribbean.

“I’ve been a pilot since 2005, and I felt that the Ignite ministry should have a missions airplane if it wanted to effectively bless the Caribbean!” Wurm wrote in a social media post on Nov. 2.

“Perfect for the mission to bring relief goods into Montego Bay, and the plane is ready just in time!” he added.

The crash has sparked an investigation by the Coral Springs Police Department and the National Transportation Safety Board.

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Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.