The six people aboard a medical jet bound for Boston that vanished over the Atlantic have been identified as a Bermudian mother and son and four Canadian flight and medical crew members.
Marilyn Lavonne Bean, 66, was being flown to Boston for stroke-related treatment. Her son, Sergio Wayne Lottimore, was traveling with her on the medevac flight.
The U.S. Coast Guard identified the four Canadian crew members as Philip Gregory Childerhose, Thomas Henry Farquhar, Sarah Jane Paton and Jolene Beth Weir.
Jolene Beth Weir, left, and Sergio Wayne Lottimore with his mother, Marilyn Lavonne Bean, were among the six people aboard the Boston-bound medevac flight that disappeared off Nantucket. (Facebook/Mackenzie Weir; Facebook)
According to Latitude Air Ambulance, Childerhose was the captain, Farquhar served as first officer, Paton was the flight nurse and Weir was the respiratory therapist.
The Gulfstream G100 disappeared early Saturday during its flight from Bermuda to Boston, prompting a large-scale Coast Guard search south of Nantucket. The search was suspended Sunday after debris linked to the aircraft was found.
Lottimore was senior vice president and head of specialty reinsurance at Hamilton Re, the Bermuda-based company said.
“The entire Hamilton team is heartbroken by the loss of a respected leader, colleague and friend,” Hamilton Re said in a statement.
Sergio Wayne Lottimore, left, and his mother, Marilyn Lavonne Bean, were aboard the Boston-bound medevac flight that disappeared off Nantucket. (Facebook)
Lottimore graduated from Warwick Academy in 2002, where he had been a prefect. The school described him as an “outstanding person.”
Bermuda Police said a family liaison officer had been appointed to support the family.
The aircraft was operated by Latitude Air Ambulance, a Canadian medical transport company. Latitude previously confirmed to News Outlet that the Gulfstream was flying as a medevac and was expected to complete the trip from Bermuda to Boston in about two hours.
Latitude Air Ambulance President Peter Byl said the company was grieving an “unimaginable loss.”
“Our focus now is on supporting their families, supporting our people and assisting the authorities,” Byl said. “We will honour our colleagues by remembering the care, professionalism, and commitment they brought to their work every day.”
The medevac flight left Bermuda’s L.F. Wade International Airport late Friday night, bound for Boston Logan International Airport.
Jolene Beth Weir, the respiratory therapist aboard the missing Boston-bound medevac flight, poses with a dog. (Facebook/Mackenzie Weir)
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada said the crew reported electrical problems as the aircraft neared the Boston area. The jet then descended rapidly, and air traffic controllers lost contact with it south of Nantucket.
FlightAware data previously reviewed by News Outlet showed the aircraft dropping from 24,000 feet to 11,000 feet in approximately three minutes at around 1 a.m. Saturday.
The Federal Aviation Administration previously told News Outlet that it issued a Search and Rescue Alert Notice at about 1:20 a.m. ET. Massport later confirmed the jet never reached Boston Logan.
The Coast Guard said a civilian vessel found debris associated with the aircraft.
“During this incredibly difficult time, our heartfelt condolences go out to the families and friends impacted by this tragic incident,” Rear Adm. Matthew Lake, commander of the Coast Guard Northeast District, said Monday.
“We are grateful to the crews and partner agencies who quickly responded to this incident, and we will continue to support our Canadian partners as they conduct their investigation,” Lake added.
Canada is leading the investigation because the aircraft was registered there, in accordance with international agreements, according to the TSB. The National Transportation Safety Board is assisting as an accredited representative for the United States.
The cause has not yet been determined.
