USA · 07 September, 2026 · 3 min read
US Coast Guard Searches for Missing PA-34 Piper With 4 Florida Family Off Andros Island
Plane carrying four Florida family members disappeared en route from Bahamas to Miami. U.S. Coast Guard joined Bahamian authorities in a multi-agency search.
Death confirmed by some outlets while others report only missing.
11 of 12 outlets skipped it: FAA issued a search Alert Notice (ALNOT) after comms loss.
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Same story, two versions
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CNN
“One person has been found dead as a South Florida family asks for help finding three other loved ones”Read the original ↗
CBS News
“The search had to be suspended due to bad weather, Bahamas police said.”Read the original ↗
Shows how timing and updates change the apparent resolution of the incident.
Plane Vanishes Off Andros
A small plane carrying four family members flying back to Florida went missing off the Bahamas on Monday, with the U.S. Coast Guard and Bahamian authorities coordinating a search after air traffic control lost contact near the western side of Andros Island.
“The plane took off from Great Harbour Cay at about 10:12 a.m.”
The aircraft departed Great Harbour Cay at about 10:12 a.m. and was heading to Miami Executive Airport in Miami-Dade County, according to Bahamas police, with the plane’s last-known contact at 11:04 a.m. near the western side of Andros Island.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force said the plane was a PA-34 Piper five-seater aircraft with tail number N212ML, and CNN reported it was later identified as a PA-34 Piper five-seater aircraft that left Great Harbour Cay Monday bound for Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport.C
CNN reported that one person has been found dead as the family asked for help finding three other loved ones, and it quoted Silvia Larrieu saying, “On the flight this morning was my uncle Mario Lamar, his wife Lili Lamar and two of his grandchildren, Christian Sosa and Sofi Sosa.”C
Search Delayed by Weather
Bahamas police said the search had to be suspended due to bad weather, while CNN reported the FAA issued a search Alert Notice (ALNOT) after air traffic control lost communication with the pilot around 10:50 a.m. local time on Monday.C
CNN said authorities were alerted around 2:20 p.m. when police received a report that “an aircraft may have gone down in the waters off Red Bays,” a settlement on the northwestern tip of Andros Island.C
The US Coast Guard said it was assisting the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and deployed an HC-144 Ocean Sentry surveillance plane to scour the waters, with CNN adding that the initial search attempt was delayed by bad weather but expected to resume once conditions improved.C
In a statement cited by CNN, Silvia Larrieu urged the public to report anything they saw, saying, “Whether it’s by plane, by boat, any signs that you’ve noticed, to help us find them and bring them back alive,” and the family asked anyone who may have been nearby to contact authorities with information.C
Family, Officials, and Next Steps
The missing were identified by family statements as pilot Mario Lamar, 80, his wife Lili Lamar, 79, and their grandchildren Sofia Sosa, 28, and Christian Sosa, 22, with the plane described as a PA-34 Piper five-seater aircraft.
““At this time, one of our family members has been found deceased.”
NBC 6 South Florida reported that a civilian boat found the body on Tuesday morning and quoted the family statement saying, “At this time, one of our family members has been found deceased,” while the family said it was not releasing the individual’s name.
NBC 6 South Florida also reported that the Defence Force confirmed via statement that the search, “was postponed until conditions became favourable,” and the family continued to urge boaters or pilots to join the effort for the remaining three missing people.
In parallel, CBS News reported that a family member pleaded in a video statement cited by the Herald, “Please help,” and asked for fishermen, boaters, pilots or residents of Andros Island to contact authorities with any information, adding that “Every piece of information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, could be important.”C