A body confirmed to be one of four missing passengers, including a Florida couple and their two grandchildren, has been found after their private plane crashed in the Atlantic Ocean. The aircraft, a Piper PA-34, departed Great Harbour Cay Airport in the Bahamas on September 7 and was en route to Miami when it disappeared near North Andros Island.
The family confirmed the discovery in a statement, though they did not specify which of the four passengers' body was recovered. The missing individuals were identified as pilot Mario Lamar, 80, his wife Lili Lamar, 79, and their grandchildren, 28-year-old Sofia Sosa and 22-year-old Christian Sosa.
Mario and Lili Lamar's son traveled to the Bahamas after learning of the crash and initiated his own search when poor weather delayed the official efforts by the U.S. Coast Guard and the Royal Bahamian Defence Force. A family spokesperson stated that a civilian, a family member, located the deceased passenger and brought them onto their own boat.
The family has requested assistance from any pilots or boaters in the vicinity to aid in the search for the three remaining family members. They have shared the approximate last known coordinates of the plane and a VHF radio frequency to help coordinate civilian search efforts. As of Tuesday morning, three additional family members had joined the search, according to family spokesperson Silvia Larrieu.