Alexander Wurm and daughter Serena. Courtesy Ignite the Fire Ministry
Hurricane Melissa was the most recent scare in this anomaly of a hurricane season – the category 5 storm wreaked havoc in Jamaica and other parts of the Caribbean but never made landfall stateside. Sadly, that hasn’t stopped tragedy from reaching parts of the U.S., including last Monday’s plane crash in Coral Springs, Florida where two lives were lost in an attempt to fly supplies to hurricane-stricken communities in Jamaica.
Alexander Wurm, 53, was the founder of Ignite the Fire, an evangelical Christian ministry that has worked across the Caribbean in times of need. His daughter Serena, 22, was keen to follow in his footsteps. The duo took off from Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport on November 10 around 10 a.m. in an 11-seat 1976 Beech B100 aircraft full of supplies and aid for victims of Hurricane Melissa, enroute to Montego Bay International Airport. However, just minutes after takeoff, the aircraft came crashing down into a lake in the Windsor Bay neighborhood, narrowly avoiding homes thereby averting a much larger disaster. Investigators are still unsure what caused the aircraft’s rapid descent.
Courtesy Crisis Response International
Friends say this wasn’t Wurm’s first trip in the aircraft, having previously flown into Jamaica with emergency supplies, working with the Virginia-based Crisis Response International, and hoped to deliver more StarLink internet kits to people in need. According to social media posts, he had purchased the plane specifically for aid missions and flown down to the Caribbean with supplies completely at his own expense. CEO of Crisis Response International, Sean Malone, posted a video to social media mourning the loss of life and praising Wurm’s continued humanitarian efforts, commenting “(Wurm) saved lives, and he gave his life for the people and the nations that were on his heart.”
The tragedy has shaken the Coral Springs community to its core, who saw Wurm as a beacon of hope, devoting his life to others, even hundreds of miles away in different countries. Residents of the impacted Windsor Bay neighborhood did not personally know the Wurms but nonetheless created a heartfelt memorial for the father-daughter duo and held a candlelight vigil this past weekend. Jamaican officials have also extended condolences to the family, with Jamaican Minister of Energy, Transport and Telecommunications, Hon. Daryl Vaz, honoring the Wurms at a press conference, stating, “(Wurm) had been providing aid to Jamaica since the relief efforts began. My understanding is that he…has always been one who gives and gives and gives.”
What a beautiful legacy − to be known for such generosity, and to make every effort to help, even under such trying circumstances. As the holiday season approaches, let’s be sure to hold our loved ones close. We pray for all those in the Caribbean affected by the ongoing hurricane cleanup, and those who are affected by the waves stirred up from the tragedy.
See you on the trail,
Lisa
LMA Newsletter of 11-17-25
