All four family members aboard a small plane that went missing off the Bahamas were found dead Tuesday after relatives launched their own search effort, a family member said.
The plane went missing on Monday after it took off from Great Harbour Cay, an island in the northern part of the Caribbean archipelago of the Bahamas, and was heading to Miami Executive Airport in Miami-Dade County, the Royal Bahamas Police Force said in a statement.
Air traffic control lost contact with the aircraft approximately 13 miles west of Andros Island, according to police.
“The Bahamas Air Sea Rescue Association (BASRA) was contacted and provided with the available information. BASRA advised that the United States Coast Guard (USCG) had attempted to search the area for the missing aircraft. However, due to inclement weather, the search was postponed until conditions became favourable,” police said.
Family member Silvia Larrieu said family on boats recovered the bodies. The family was working with the U.S. Coast Guard to bring them home.
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“We are deeply grateful to everyone who supported us, searched alongside us, and kept our family in their prayers,” the family said in a statement to The Associated Press. “We respectfully ask for privacy as we mourn this unimaginable loss.”
The Royal Bahamas Police Force also shared an update on the missing aircraft on Tuesday, saying that “human remains were recovered and are now in police custody.”
“Further, the remains are being transported to New Providence. In response, police have since mobilised a team of officers to conduct a comprehensive investigation into this matter,” police added.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) of the Bahamas said that neither the aircraft or any associated wreckage or debris have been located.
The AAIA is coordinating with the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other appropriate national and international agencies in an investigation into the crash.
“At this early stage, no determination has been made regarding the cause or contributing factors,” the AAIA added.
Larrieu said her uncle, Mario Lamar, 80, was piloting the plane and had more than 40 years of experience as a pilot as he routinely flew to the Bahamas.
In a video statement shared by WSVN-TV in Miami, Larrieu said that the plane was also carrying Lamar’s wife Lily Lamar, 79, and two of his grandchildren, Christian Sosa, 22, and Sophie Sosa, 28.
Larrieu said that the family has a home on Great Harbour Cay and spent Labour Day weekend on the island.
“They’ve spent their whole life going there. That’s like their second home,” Larrieu told the Miami Herald.
Larrieu revealed that Sophie had texted her parents in a family group chat to let them know they were leaving and a flight plan her uncle filed showed the time the plane was expected to land.
The family contacted authorities after seeing messages were not being delivered to Sophie.
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) previously told Global News that it was supporting the search to locate the aircraft.
“At approximately 2 p.m. the Royal Bahamian Defense Force requested Coast Guard assistance following a report of a downed airplane with 4 people aboard approximately 15 miles off Andros Island, Bahamas. Southeast District command center watchstanders coordinated the launch of an HC-144 Ocean Sentry to assist Bahamian authorities with the search. The case is ongoing. For more information, please contact Bahamian authorities,” the USCG said in a statement.
—With files from The Associated Press
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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