The bodies of a woman and child were found after the wreckage of a plane was discovered in the sea off the coast of Florida.
Search crews are still searching for a third person, possibly the pilot, after the ill-fated Piper Cherokee plane was found about a third of a mile offshore in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday (December 4).
Officials from the city of Venice, Florida, said: "Just after 2 p.m., the missing Piper Cherokee was located.
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"Divers from the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office located a deceased juvenile within the plane's passenger area."
The plane had taken off from Venice Municipal Airport around 7:30pm the night before with three people on board, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
An investigation was launched into the plane's whereabouts around 10am on Sunday morning after the plane failed to arrive at its destination in St Petersburg, Florida, on time.
Around the same time, boaters in the sea found a woman's body floating on the ocean surface about 2.5 miles west of Venice Beach according to local police.
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It has not been confirmed whether the woman was one of the passengers.
Divers from a number of agencies then began the search for the plane, and discovered it on Sunday afternoon with the body of the child still inside.
A third person, possibly a male pilot or passenger, is also thought to be missing from the plane, but this person has not yet been found.
Authorities are continuing the search for the crash's third victim.
The city of Venice added: "At this time, search efforts are continuing for a potential missing male occupant, the search effort will continue until sunset and resume as conditions allow."
The FAA has launched an investigation to determine the cause of the crash along with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), with the latter taking the helm and providing updates on the inquiry.
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