Actor Christian Oliver, his two young daughters and the pilot of a small plane died after the plane crashed into the Caribbean Sea, authorities said Friday.
The Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force said in a statement that 51-year-old Oliver, identified in the statement by his real name Christian Klesper, and daughters Madita, 10, and Annik, 12, were on board the small aircraft. The pilot was identified as local resident and aircraft owner Robert Sachs. The US State Department said Sachs is also an American.
Christian Oliver at a red carpet event in 2020. Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images
Representatives for Oliver also confirmed his death, telling CBS News in a statement that their “thoughts and prayers are with him, his two daughters and his family.”
Police said the plane crashed into the sea about a mile off the coast of Petit Nevis sometime after midday. The plane was en route to St. Lucia, about 65 miles away, but shortly after takeoff it ran into trouble and crashed into the sea, authorities said.
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Local fishermen and divers approached the scene after the crash, officials said. According to authorities, divers recovered the bodies and handed them over to members of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Coast Guard who arrived on the scene.
The plane in which Christian Oliver, his daughters and Robert Sachs were. Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force
A doctor confirmed the deaths of all four passengers on the plane, authorities said. The causes of death are determined through autopsies.
The plane crash remains under investigation, the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force said. The Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority told CBS News that it is “currently in the process of gathering information to assist in the investigation.”
The State Department said it was providing “all appropriate consular assistance” to the victims’ families.
Oliver, who was born in Germany and is best known for the 2008 film “Speed Racer,” posted on New Year's Day that he and his family were “somewhere in paradise.”
According to his website, he also starred in the films “The Good German” and “Valkyrie.”
According to his iMDB page, Oliver will appear in two upcoming films. One of them, “London Blue,” is in post-production but doesn’t have a release date yet. The other film, “Forever Hold Your Peace,” is still in production. The film's director, Nick Lyon, said in an Instagram post that filming for the film recently wrapped.
“We talked about producing a film together for years and finally did it,” Lyon wrote, adding that this was the fifth project they had worked on together. “Thank you for being a great colleague, actor and friend.”
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