Small Plane Carrying Miami Family Found After Disappearing Near the Bahamas, 4 Bodies Recovered
A small plane carrying four members of a Miami family disappeared on a flight from the Bahamas to South Florida on Monday. Authorities in the
A small plane carrying four members of a Miami family disappeared on a flight from the Bahamas to South Florida on Monday. Authorities in the Bahamas said Tuesday that four bodies were found after the aircraft was believed to have crash-landed off Andros Island.
Last contact near Andros
The plane left Great Harbour Cay at about 10:12 a.m. Monday bound for Miami Executive Airport in Miami-Dade County, Bahamas police said. Its last known contact came at 11:04 a.m. near the western side of Andros Island, according to a statement from the family.
Police on Andros said they were coordinating efforts to locate the aircraft near Red Bays, North Andros. The Royal Bahamas Defence Force later said the bodies were found Tuesday and were being transported to the Bahamas.
Four people were on board. All from one family. All heading home.
Family members identified
A relative identified those aboard as pilot Mario Lamar, 80, his wife, Lili Lamar, 79, and two grandchildren, Sofia Sosa, 28, and Christian Sosa, 22. Silvia Larrieu, Mario and Lili Lamar’s niece, said they were returning to Miami after a long weekend trip.
Larrieu said Sofia Sosa had texted her parents in a family chat to say they were leaving. A flight plan filed by her uncle showed the route back to South Florida. Then the signal stopped. That was it.
Bahamas authorities have not said what caused the aircraft to go down. But the search unfolded in an area where flights between the islands and Florida are common, and where weather, distance and water can quickly complicate rescue operations.
The case has drawn attention on both sides of the Florida Straits, a busy corridor for private aircraft, charter flights and tourist travel between the United States and the Bahamas. For relatives waiting in Miami, the confirmation Tuesday ended the uncertainty but left the hardest part ahead: the recovery of the remains and the questions still unanswered.
The Royal Bahamas Defence Force said four bodies had been found.
