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Five people — including an eight-month-old baby — survived a light plane crash in the Bahamas late Monday and were rescued after drifting in a life raft for almost three hours, officials said.

Their single-engine Cessna took off from Crooked Island and ditched in waters near New Providence, southeast of Nassau, shortly before sunset, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) said.

Survivors of a plane crash in the Bahamas gather after being rescued. RBDF Public Relations Department

A joint search was launched at about 7:30 p.m. ET using an RBDF patrol boat assisted by a U.S. Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter.

"At approximately 10:20 p.m. ... the command center received a report from the aircrew aboard the MH-60 aircraft that they located the five people floating on a life raft approximately nine nautical miles southeast of Nassau,” the Coast Guard said in a news release. The Royal Bahamian Defence Force arrived on scene, safely embarked the five people and transported them back to the Bahamas.”

Survivors of a plane crash in the Bahamas. RBDF Public Relations Department

Pilot Anthiqueko Gibson, 26, was rescued along with passengers Lorenzo Moss, 47, Autoria Moss, 27, Andre Gibson, 22 and Andrew Gibson, 8 months, the RBDF said. They are all Bahamanian nationals.

“All passengers appeared to be in good health," the RBDF said in a statement.

There was no information immediately available about the cause of the crash.