FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. _ Five people died when a small plane crashed into Lake Okeechobee Friday afternoon, authorities said.
At 3:26 p.m, the small plane crashed into the lake about 400 yards from shore a little north of Pahokee Airport, said Teri Barbera, spokeswoman for the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.
Divers searched the lake after a person was seen swimming away from the wreckage, Barbera said.
Divers from Palm Beach County Fire Rescue found the five bodies when they searched the aircraft fuselage in the water, she said.
The plane had taken off from Tampa International Airport and went down as it approached the Pahokee airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
The Pahokee Airport is located near the southeast portion of the lake's shore.
The National Transportation Safety Board will be in charge of the crash investigation.
The death investigation will be handled by the sheriff's office violent crimes division.
