USA05 October, 20263 min read
U.S. Coast Guard Identifies All Six Aboard Missing Ontario Air Ambulance Off Massachusetts
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Six people aboard Gulfstream air ambulance: four Canadian crew and two Bermudian passengers. Debris field from the missing Gulfstream located off Nantucket, Atlantic offshore.
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All Six Identified
The U.S. Coast Guard identified all six people aboard the Ontario-based air ambulance that went missing off the coast of Massachusetts, naming Philip Gregory Childerhose, Thomas Henry Farquhar, Sarah Jane Paton and Jolene Beth Weir, and naming the two Bermudian passengers as Marilyn Lavonne Bean and Sergio Wayne Lottimore.
Rear Adm. Matthew Lake said, "During this incredibly difficult time, our heartfelt condolences go out to the families and friends impacted by this tragic incident," as the Coast Guard confirmed the Transportation Safety Board of Canada would lead the investigation.
The Coast Guard said debris from the plane was found 32 kilometres off Nantucket and that it suspended its search on Sunday after scouring roughly 7,000 kilometres of ocean.
Latitude said the decision to conclude active search and rescue meant it must face "the heartbreaking reality that the four members of our Latitude team, our patient and the patient's family escort" were presumed to have died.
The Coast Guard said the air ambulance was flying to Boston from Bermuda when it went missing on Saturday, after the pilot reported electrical problems and declared an emergency as the jet approached the coast.
Search, Debris, and Data
The Gulfstream G100 jet carried 66-year-old Marilyn Lavonne Bean and her 41-year-old son Sergio Wayne Lottimore, and it identified the four Canadian crew as Philip Gregory Childerhose, Thomas Henry Farquhar, Sarah Jane Paton and Jolene Beth Weir. The pilot reported electrical problems and declared an emergency as the jet approached the coast, and the plane descended sharply from around 24,000 feet to about 10,000 feet, according to preliminary data from FlightRadar24. The 66-hour search ended Sunday after scouring roughly 7,000 kilometres of ocean, and officials reported a civilian vessel also found debris associated with the plane.
The Coast Guard confirmed a "debris field" off Nantucket that belonged to the missing aircraft, while authorities had not reported the whereabouts of the six occupants. The search teams covered about 1,644 square miles, using maritime and aerial resources, as the operation continued with the primary objective of locating the six occupants missing off Nantucket.
Investigation and Tributes
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada led the investigation, and the U.S. Coast Guard said it would be assisted by the (U.S.) National Transportation Safety Board as accredited representatives, with investigators to deploy to assist in the search and recovery of the aircraft.
Latitude said, "Given the information shared by authorities and the conclusion of the search and rescue phase, we must now face the heartbreaking reality" that the four crew, the patient and the patient’s family escort aboard Heartbeat 104 were presumed to have died.
Warwick Academy remembered Sergio Wayne Lottimore as a school prefect and an "outstanding person," and Hamilton Re said it had lost a "respected leader, colleague and friend."
Bermuda Premier David Burt told families, "While we held out hope for the best, the worst fears have been realized," and he added, "Let us open our hearts to the families in the hope that our expressions of love, support and compassion will bring some comfort."
Investigators had said a black box, a recording device used to investigate accidents, has not yet been recovered, as authorities continued to determine what happened in the final moments of the flight.