Christian Oliver, known for his performances in movies such as Speed Racer, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Valkyrie, passed away on Thursday along with his two young daughters after their plane crashed into the water off the coast of a Caribbean island, as reported by a leading news portal. Oliver was 51 years old. The plane’s owner and pilot, Robert Sachs, also died in the tragic accident.
Officials reported that the privately-owned plane went down while en route to St. Lucia from Bequia, a small island in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, after departing from J.F. Mitchell Airport on Thursday afternoon. Among those who tragically lost their lives were Oliver’s daughters, Madita, aged 12, and Annik, aged 10.
Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft encountered difficulties and nosedived into the ocean, according to a statement from the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force. Fishermen and divers from Paget Farm rushed to the scene in their boats to provide assistance.
All four bodies have been found, and an investigation into the cause of the crash is underway. Local reports indicate that the pilot informed the tower of difficulties shortly after takeoff and stated an intention to return. This was the plane’s final communication.
Oliver had recently completed shooting the last scenes of his newest movie, Forever Hold Your Peace, which was directed by Nick Lyon and also featured Bai Ling.
Oliver, originally from Germany, worked with Steven Soderbergh on The Good German, alongside Cate Blanchett and George Clooney. He also collaborated with Brian Singer and Tom Cruise on Valkyrie and the Wachowskis on Speed Racer in 2008. His television appearances include Saved By the Bell: The New Class, and his latest movie role was in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.