Two children among six tourists feared dead after plane crashes off Costa Rica

Six people, reportedly including a German millionaire, are feared dead after a luxury plane crashed into the Caribbean sea just off Costa Rica.

Authorities said pieces of a twin-engine turboprop aircraft were found in the water in Limón today after the flight went missing yesterday night.

A flight plan filed for the small charter plane listed Rainer Schaller, who owns the popular German McFit fitness studios, as a passenger.

Amid a sprawling search along the coast of Limón, a source told national TV news outlet Noticias Telediario that a child’s body has been found at the crash site.

A ‘teddy bear and colouring book’ were also found, the authorities confirmed to the broadcaster in a separate report.

Earlier today, assistant security minister Martín Arias said: ‘Pieces have been found that indicate that this is the aircraft.

‘Up to now, we have not found any bodies dead or alive.’

Mr Schaller, 53, was reportedly travelling with a German woman, 44, a man, 40, and two minors as well as a Swiss pilot, 66, the Ministry of Public Security said.

German newspaper Bild reported that Mr Schaller’s partner Christiane Schikorsky and their two children were on the plane.

The luxury nine-seat Italian-made Piaggio P180 Avanti disappeared two and a half hours after leaving Palenque, in Chiapas, Mexico, while en route to Limón.

The flight disappeared from radar near Barra de Parismina, just 25 miles from the resort town Limón, when it was flying 2,500 feet in the air.

The wreckage was found around 17 miles from Limón International Airport.

Security minister Jorde Torres said: ‘Around six in the afternoon we received an alert about a flight coming from Mexico to the Limon airport, carrying five German passengers.’

A search was suspended overnight amid concerns over bad weather, Mr Torres added.