Coast Guard joins desperate search for crashed plane with four Florida family members

The U.S. Coast Guard is now part of a desperate hunt for a small plane carrying four Florida relatives that Bahamian officials say crashed into the ocean shortly after leaving Great Harbour Cay. The aircraft in question was a PA-34 Piper, capable of seating five people, and it was bound for Opa-locka, Florida.

Mario Lamar, 80 years old, flew with his wife Lili, also 79, plus two grandchildren: Sofia Sosa, 28, and Christian Sosa, 22. The Miami Herald identified these four individuals as the sole passengers on board when they vanished. Silvia Larrieu, who is the niece of Mario and Lili Lamar, spoke to the newspaper with raw emotion. She begged anyone listening to assist in the search and rescue operations because her family desperately needed to bring their loved ones home.

Larrieu explained that the group had spent their entire lives visiting a vacation spot they owned near Great Harbour Cay before heading back to Florida after Labor Day weekend. According to FlightAware data, the plane dropped from 10,000 feet down to 3,700 feet in just three minutes before it disappeared from radar screens entirely. That rapid descent marks a critical moment where contact was lost.

Mario Lamar had spent years flying and always maintained his aircraft in pristine condition, Larrieu told the Miami Herald. His dedication to safety stands in stark contrast to the sudden disappearance of his flight. The U.S. Coast Guard Southeast confirmed Monday that they were helping Bahamian authorities following a report of an aircraft down with four souls on board approximately 15 miles off Andros Island. A Coast Guard HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane has joined the effort to locate the missing plane in the vast waters.

The Royal Bahamas Police Force said it received the initial alert around 2:20 p.m. Monday that a plane may have gone down near Red Bays. Air traffic control confirmed that the PA-34 Piper with tail number N212ML departed Great Harbour Cay at about 11:12 a.m. en route to Florida. Controllers lost contact with the aircraft roughly 13 miles west of Andros Island, leaving families in limbo while search teams scramble to find answers.

The Bahamas Air Sea Rescue Association warned that inclement weather has hampered operations so far. The U.S. Coast Guard tried to search the area immediately but had to postpone efforts until conditions became favorable. This delay adds a layer of uncertainty for everyone waiting news on whether Mario, Lili, Sofia, and Christian survived their terrifying flight over the Atlantic. The situation remains fluid as authorities work against the elements to recover the wreckage or find the missing passengers.