USA · updated 2h ago · 2 min read
U.S. Coast Guard Searches for Missing Florida Family Plane Off Andros Island
Four members of a Florida family on a PA-34 Piper disappeared after departing Great Harbour Cay for Miami. U.S. Coast Guard and Bahamian authorities launched a multi-agency search; last contact near 11:04–11:12 a.m.
Whether weather may have caused the disappearance.
10 of 12 outlets skipped it: flight data showed speed shifting and a looping radar path.
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CNN
“Heavy thunderstorms were reported in the area, though it’s unclear if weather may have played a factor.”Read the original ↗
CNN stresses uncertainty about weather's role in the disappearance, while WPEC emphasises poor weather as the reason the search was suspended.
Plane Vanishes Near Andros
A small plane carrying four members of a Florida family went missing while flying from the Bahamas to the Miami area, with the U.S. Coast Guard assisting the Royal Bahamas Defence Force in a search about 15 miles off Andros Island.
“The U.S. Coast Guard said on X that the plane went down about 15 miles off Andros Island”
The Royal Bahamas Police Force said air traffic control lost contact with a PA-34 Piper five-seater aircraft, tail number N212ML, when it was about 13 miles west of Andros Island, after it departed Great Harbour Cay at approximately 11:12 a.m. en route to Opa-locka, Florida.
Family members said the plane’s last known contact was at 11:04 a.m. when it was about 13 miles west of Andros Island, and they identified pilot Mario Lamar, 80; Lili Lamar, 79; and grandchildren Sofia Sosa, 28, and Christian Sosa, 22.
CBS Miami reported the plane took off from Great Harbour Cay at about 10:12 a.m. and was headed to Miami Executive Airport in Miami-Dade County, and the search was suspended because of poor weather conditions.
Family Pleads for Help
Silvia Larrieu, the niece of the couple, urged the public to assist search and rescue, telling the Miami Herald, "Please help," and adding, "I ask anybody out there, if you can help with search and rescue efforts, we would greatly appreciate it."
In a statement to CNN, Larrieu said, "On the flight this morning was my uncle Mario Lamar, his wife Lili Lamar and two of his grandchildren, Christian Sosa and Sofi Sosa," as authorities coordinated a multi-agency effort.C
The U.S. Coast Guard Southeast said it was assisting authorities in the Bahamas "following a report of a downed aircraft with four souls on board approx 15 mi off Andros Island," and it deployed an HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane to join the search.
Fox News reported that the Royal Bahamas Police Force said the Bahamas Air Sea Rescue Association advised the United States Coast Guard had attempted to search the area, but due to inclement weather the search was postponed until conditions became favorable.
Search Delayed, Investigation Ongoing
As the search continued, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force said in a statement that its search so far had "yielded negative results" as of 5 p.m., while the U.S. Coast Guard remained involved in assisting Bahamian authorities.
“its search so far has “yielded negative results.””
The Miami Herald described how FlightAware data showed the plane’s speed rapidly shifting up and down and the altitude dropping from around 10,000 feet to 3,700 feet in just three minutes before the data ended, with the plane’s path looping in a circle.
NBC 6 South Florida reported that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) said the investigation is ongoing and that more details will be released as search and rescue efforts progress, while also noting that initial searches by the Coast Guard in the area had yielded no results.
NBC 6 South Florida said an HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft was participating in the search and rescue efforts, and it quoted the family’s plea in a video sent by Larrieu: "We are begging you to please help us with your prayers and with the authorities."