(KTLA) – Actor Christian Oliver has died in a tragic plane crash in the Caribbean alongside his two daughters.
Oliver, known for his roles in “Speed Racer” and “Valkyrie,” was 51 years old.
Deadline reports that Oliver and his daughters were in a small plane that crashed into the ocean off a Caribbean island Thursday. The plane’s owner and pilot, Robert Sachs, also died in the accident.
Oliver, whose real name is Christian Klepser, and his daughters, Madita, 10, and Annik, 12, were the only passengers on the flight, according to TMZ.
Authorities say the flight took off from the J.F. Mitchelle Airport, known as the Bequia Airport, which serves St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and was headed to St. Lucia.
“Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft experienced difficulties and nose-dived into the ocean,” the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force said in a statement obtained by Deadline. “Fishermen and divers from Paget Farm went to the scene of the incident in their boats to render assistance.”
Local reports say the pilot communicated an issue with the aircraft shortly after takeoff, and had planned to turn back. That was the last communication received from the tower.
All four bodies have been recovered from the water.
The cause of the crash is currently under investigation.
Tributes to Oliver have since been posted to social media, some from the crew of his last film “Forever Hold Your Peace.”
“This is our 5th film together. @christianoliverofficial and me produced this one, and this is our last day of filming! We talked about producing a film together for years and finally did it! Thank you for being a great colleague, actor and friend,” wrote director Nick Lyon to Instagram.
Actress Bai Ling, who played his lover in the film, also took to the platform for a heartfelt tribute.
“He was so. nice, (worked) so hard and such a brave #actor and a beautiful gentle person,” she wrote, in part, alongside one of the last photos the two took together.
Oliver, who was born in Germany, had dozens of credited film and television roles, including roles in the 2008 film “Speed Racer,” written and directed by the Wachowskis, and the 2006 World War II film “The Good German,” starring George Clooney and Cate Blanchett, and directed by Steven Soderbergh.
He also appeared throughout season two of the 1990s series “Saved by the Bell: The New Class,” playing a Swiss transfer student named Brian Keller.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
