SAN JOSE, Oct 22 (Reuters) – German entrepreneur Rainer Schaller, known for his line of fitness studios, was among the passengers on a plane believed to have crashed in Costa Rica, authorities from the Central American country said on Saturday.

Costa Rican authorities said they found wreckage earlier Saturday about 17 miles (28 km) from Limon airport believed to be from a private plane carrying Schaller, the founder of Germany’s McFit gym chain, and some members of his family.

Schaller, 53, was traveling with other Germans including a 44-year-old woman, a 40-year-old man and two minors. The pilot, 66, was a Swiss citizen, according to Costa Rica’s security ministry.

Costa Rican authorities received an alert on Friday night about the missing plane, which was en route from Mexico to Limon, Security Minister Jorge Torres said earlier.

The aircraft had lost communication with the control tower near Barra de Parismina, a few minutes from Limon, according to Torres.

Reporting by Alvaro Murillo in San Jose; Writing by Cassandra Garrison; Editing by Jason Neely, Matthew Lewis and Daniel Wallis

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