The U.S. Coast Guard has released the names of the four Canadians who were on the medical air transport jet out of Hamilton that was lost in the Atlantic Ocean en route to Boston from Bermuda early Saturday morning.
Monday night, the Coast Guard said that the Canadian crew included Philip Gregory Childerhose, Thomas Henry Farquhar, Sarah Jane Paton, and Jolene Beth Weir.
The crew flew out of Bermuda with two Bermudians heading to the United States on a Gulfstream G100 jet operated by Hamilton’s Latitude Air Ambulance.
The Bermuda government earlier in the day identified the Bermudians on board as 66-year-old Marilyn Lavonne Bean and her 41-year-old son, Sergio Wayne Lottimore. The Coast Guard confirmed they were the passengers.
“During this incredibly difficult time, our heartfelt condolences go out to the families and friends impacted by this tragic incident,” said Rear Adm. Matthew Lake, commander of the Coast Guard Northeast District, in a news release Monday night. “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.”
Monday night, Latitude president Peter Byl said in a statement that while the Coast Guard has released the names of his company’s crew, the crew members were more than names.
“They were colleagues, friends and members of our family. Each brought something special to our company, to the people they worked beside, and to the patients and families entrusted to their care,” he said.
Childerhose was ‘a person of great integrity’
He described Philip Childerhose, who was the captain, as “a person of great integrity, incredibly kind-hearted and extremely passionate about aviation. He was dedicated to his family, friends, and colleagues. He touched the hearts of everyone he talked to and helped anyone who was in need.”
Byl described first officer Thomas Farquhar as a “gentle giant” who reflected Jesus’ love: a safe place and a helping hand to all.
“Tommy was loved by everyone who ever met him.”
Flight nurse Sarah Paton “was a bright, joyful presence whose kindness, humour and generosity touched everyone around her,” Byl said. “A dedicated nurse, she devoted her life to caring for others and was known by her family as selfless, hardworking, determined and full of life. She was a larger-than-life daughter, family member and friend, and her loved ones take some comfort in knowing she was doing what mattered most to her: helping others.
“Sarah will be deeply missed and forever remembered for the love and joy she brought to those around her.”
Respiratory therapist Jolene Weir “was a presence unlike any other who loved her family and friends and had a passion for helping others,” said Byl. “With years of experience caring for others as a respiratory therapist in a hospital, combined with her love of travel and seeing the world, Latitude truly was her dream job. Her incredible ability to care for and love others extended not only to her patients but showed even more in her most favourite roles as a wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend.”
Byl said he understands there is considerable public interest in the people who were on the jet. “We respectfully ask that the privacy of all six families be protected and that they be given the space and time they need to grieve.”
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSBC) announced on Monday that it will lead the investigation because the jet was registered in Canada. The agency said early indications are that something might have gone wrong with the jet’s electrical system.
Latitude said in a statement Sunday night that any hope of finding survivors from the downed jet, which is named Heartbeat 104, appeared to be gone.
“Given the information shared by authorities and the conclusion of the search and rescue phase, we must now face the heartbreaking reality that the four members of our Latitude team, our patient and the patient’s family escort, who were aboard Heartbeat 104 are presumed to have died.”
The Coast Guard and National Guard had used fixed wing aircraft, helicopters and sea vessels to search a huge area of 11,500 square kilometres off Nantucket from 2 a.m. Saturday until ultimately calling off the search Sunday night. The Coast Guard had been contacted by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration that contact had been lost with the Gulfstream aircraft.
Black box not yet been recovered, Coast Guard says
Sunday morning, the Coast Guard said in a news conference that a considerable amount of debris had been found from the jet in the water but Lake said as of then, the so-called black box likely containing valuable data had not yet been recovered.
Sunday morning, Lake said the Coast Guard was in the process of working with Massachusetts authorities to get some craft out in the area that are equipped with sonar to be able to do some detection on the seabed floor. He said the water was about 80 to 90 feet deep in the area.
This image of the interior a Gulfstream G100 jet operated by Latitude Air Ambulance out of Hamilton is shown on Latitude’s website. (Latitude Air Ambulance)
Latitude said it will continue to cooperate fully with the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada and all other relevant authorities as recovery efforts and the investigation proceed.
“Determining the circumstances and cause of an aviation accident is a careful and methodical process, and we will not speculate about what occurred,” the company said.
Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath said Monday she was “heartbroken by the tragic loss of life.”
“My heart goes out to the families and loved ones of those who were aboard, and to the entire Latitude team as they mourn the loss of their colleagues and friends,” she said in a statement. “Latitude is part of our Hamilton community, operating out of Hamilton International Airport. On behalf of the city of Hamilton, I extend my deepest condolences to everyone affected by this tragedy.”
Bermuda’s Premier David Burt said the country’s worst fears have been realized after holding out hope for the best. In a separate statement, Bermuda Health Minister Kim Wilson said it is an “incredibly difficult time for all those affected, and I know many people across Bermuda are holding them in their thoughts and prayers.”
She also offered thanks for the Canadian crew who flew to her country to help a family in need.
“We… recognize the dedicated crew who came to Bermuda to provide a service that has supported many families during some of life’s most difficult moments,” she said. “For that, we are deeply grateful.”
The Coast Guard said it will continue to coordinate with Canadian authorities. It said if people find debris from the jet in the water, they should contact the TSBC.