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 into the water 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.
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Authorities said the single-engine plane crashed Thursday afternoon en route to neighboring St. Lucia after taking off from JF Mitchell Airport in Bequia, a small island in the Caribbean nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Oliver's daughters Madita (12) and Annik (10) were among those who died.
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“Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft encountered difficulty and nose-dived into the sea,” the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force said in a statement to media. “Fishermen and divers from Paget Farm took their boats to the scene of the accident to provide assistance.”
According to officials, all four bodies have been recovered. The cause of the crash is still under investigation. According to local reports, the pilot radioed the tower shortly after takeoff that he was having problems and would be returning. That was the plane's last transmission.
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Oliver had just finished filming the final scenes of his latest film, Forever Hold Your Peace, directed by Nick Lyon and starring Bai Ling.
Lyon paid tribute to Oliver on Instagram on the final day of filming, writing: “This is our fifth film together. @christianoliverofficial and I produced this film and this is our last day of filming! We talked about producing a film together for years and finally did it! Thank you for being a great colleague, actor and friend @christianoliverofficial. #foreverholdyourpeace.”
On Saturday, he paid tribute to the late actor on Instagram, writing: “Rest in peace my friend @christianoliverofficial.”
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Oliver, who was born in Germany, worked with Steven Soderbergh in “The Good German” alongside Cate Blanchett and George Clooney in 2008, and in “Speed Racer” with Brian Singer and Tom Cruise in “Valkyrie and the Wachowskis.” . His TV credits include Saved By The Bell: The New Class and his most recent film was Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.