A Hollywood actor and his two daughters were among four people killed on Thursday when a small plane crashed shortly after takeoff from a Caribbean island, authorities said.
The deadly crash happened in the waters off Bequia, a small island that is part of the southern Caribbean nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Authorities said the single-engine aircraft took off from J.F. Mitchell Airport shortly after noon local time and was headed to nearby St. Lucia when tragedy struck.
“Moments after taking off, the aircraft experienced difficulties and plummeted into the ocean,” the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force said in a statement.
Police said in a statement shared on Facebook that the crash west of Petit Nevis off the coast of Bequia also claimed the lives of Oliver’s two daughters: 10-year-old Madita Klepser and 12-year-old Annik Klepser. The pilot, Robert Sachs, also died.
In a separate statement shared Friday, police said they appreciate the efforts of the fishermen and divers in Bequia who worked with the St. Vincent and Grenadines Coast Guard to retrieve the bodies.
The cause of the crash was not immediately clear, the Associated Press reported, and police have launched an investigation. The four bodies were taken to Kingstown Mortuary, which will conduct “post-mortem examinations” to uncover the victims’ causes of death.
Oliver, whose real name was Christian Klepser, was born in Germany and began his acting career playing Brian Keller, a transfer student from Switzerland, in NBC’s “Saved by the Bell: The New Class,” according to IMDB. He starred in several television series including Prime Video’s “Hunters,” CW’s “The Outpost” and Netflix’s “Sense8.”
He also appeared in the films “Rattlesnakes,” “Animal Among Us,” “Valkyrie” and “The Good German.” The video games “Medal of Honor: Underground” and “Call of Duty: WWII” also added to Oliver’s varied acting career. Before his death, Oliver was set to appear in the film “Forever Hold Your Peace” and the video short “London Blue.”
In addition to acting, Oliver was a producer and writer. He served as a producer on the 2009 comedy “Ready or Not,” the 2018 horror-adventure “The Outer Wild” and the 2020 miniseries “Abe,” among other titles.
