Search crews are looking for an American family — two grandparents and two grandchildren — after their small aircraft apparently went down off the coast of the Bahamas on Monday, the U.S. Coast Guard and Bahamian authorities said.
The Coast Guard said it was called in to help shortly after 2 p.m., when the Royal Bahamian Defense Force requested assistance following a report of a downed plane carrying four people about 15 miles off Andros Island. U.S. crews were supporting Bahamian authorities in the search, the Coast Guard said Monday evening.
Bahamas Police said officers on Andros were coordinating efforts to find an aircraft believed to have crash-landed off Red Bays in North Andros. The plane was identified as a PA-34 Piper five-seater, tail number N212ML, which authorities said departed Great Harbour Cay at about 11:12 a.m. with four people aboard.
According to Bahamas Police, air traffic controllers later lost contact with the aircraft roughly 13 miles west of Andros Island. Officials also said poor weather forced the search to be delayed for an unspecified period.
In a statement provided to ABC News, the family identified those on board as Mario Lamar Sr., 80; Lili Lamar, 79; Sofi Sosa, 28; and Christian Sosa, 22. The family described Mario Lamar as an experienced pilot with more than four decades of flying experience.
The aircraft was headed to Miami Executive Airport, formerly known as Tamiami Airport, the family said. Its last known contact was around 11:04 a.m. near the western side of Andros Island, according to the statement.
The family urged Bahamian officials, the U.S. Coast Guard and all relevant local agencies to coordinate closely and use every available resource to locate the plane and the four people on board as quickly as possible.
“The Lamar and Sosa families are deeply grateful to everyone participating in the search and to those who have reached out with support,” the statement said.
ABC News’ Rachel DeLima contributed to this report.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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