Christian Oliver, best known for his roles in films like Speed Racer and Valkyrie, died Thursday along with his two young daughters when his small plane crashed in the waters off the coast of a Caribbean island, Deadline reported. Oliver was 51 years old. Robert Sachs, the plane's owner and pilot, also died in the crash.
Authorities said the single-engine plane crashed en route to neighboring St. Lucia on Thursday afternoon after taking off from JF Mitchell Airport on Bequia, a small island in the Caribbean nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Among the deceased were Oliver's daughters, Madeta, 12, and Annick, 10.
“Shortly after take-off, the aircraft encountered difficulties and its nose fell into the ocean,” the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force said in a statement provided to the media. He added, “Fishermen and divers from Paget Farm went to the scene with their boats to provide assistance.”
According to officials, the four bodies have been recovered. The cause of the accident is still under investigation. According to local reports, the pilot radioed the tower shortly after takeoff to inform it that he was experiencing problems and would return. This was the aircraft's final transmission.
Oliver had just finished filming the final scenes of his latest picture, Forever Hold Your Peace, directed by Nick Leone and co-starring Bai Ling.
Leone took to Instagram on the final day of filming to pay tribute to Oliver, writing: “This is our 5th film together. @christianoliverofficial and I produced this film, and this is our last day of filming! We've been talking about producing a film together for years, and we finally do it! Thanks “For being an amazing colleague, actor and friend @christianoliverofficial. #StayPeaceForever.”
On Saturday, he paid tribute to the late actor on his Instagram account, saying: “Rest in peace my friend @christianoliverofficial.”
Oliver, who was born in Germany, has collaborated with Steven Soderbergh in The Good German, opposite Cate Blanchett and George Clooney, as well as with Bryan Singer and Tom Cruise in Valkyrie and the Wachowskis in Speed Racer in 2008. His television credits include Saved By. The Bell: The New Class, and his last film was Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
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