A family is seeking answers and appealing for assistance after a small plane carrying four relatives vanished Monday morning during a flight from the Bahamas to Miami.
Mario Lamar, 80, was piloting the Piper PA-34 Seneca with his wife, Lili Lamar, 79, and two grandchildren, Sofia Sosa, 28, and Christian Sosa, 22, when it disappeared from radar. The group had been spending the Labor Day weekend at the Lamars' home on Great Harbour Cay and were en route back to Miami.
Sofia Sosa sent a message to the family group chat at 10:13 a.m. stating they were heading home, which was the last communication received. Attempts to contact her afterward went unanswered.
Family members tracked the aircraft using FlightAware, which indicated the plane was last seen on radar shortly before 11 a.m. near the waters off Red Bays. Data showed a rapid fluctuation in speed and a drop in altitude from approximately 10,000 feet to 3,700 feet within three minutes. The plane's recorded path also showed it circled before disappearing from radar. Air Traffic Control reported losing contact with the aircraft about 13 miles west of Andros Island.
Rough weather conditions near the north end of Andros Island were noted in the plane's flight path and briefly hampered initial search efforts by Bahamian forces. The U.S. Coast Guard has joined the Royal Bahamas Defence Force in the search, deploying an HC-144 Ocean Sentry plane.
Silvia Larrieu, a niece of Mario and Lili Lamar, described her uncle as a trained pilot with 40 years of experience whose plane was always meticulously maintained. She made a public plea for help with search and rescue efforts.
"Please help," Larrieu stated in a video. "I ask anybody out there, if you can help with search and rescue efforts, we would greatly appreciate it. We need to bring them home."
The Lamar and Sosa families expressed gratitude for the ongoing search and support from others. The Royal Bahamas Defence Force reported negative results in its search as of Monday evening.
