ANDROS ISLAND, Bahamas. — All four family members from South Florida who were aboard a small plane that went missing off the Bahamas Monday were found dead Tuesday after relatives launched their own search effort, a family member confirmed.
Silvia Larrieu said relatives on boats recovered the bodies.
“It is with profound sadness that we confirm all four of our family members have been found deceased,” the family said in a statement. “The search and recovery mission was conducted alongside family members and civilians who answered our call for help.
“Our relatives ultimately located our loved ones and had to bring them aboard their own vessels. We are now in communication and working with the U.S. Coast Guard to bring our loved ones home safely and with dignity.”
Larrieu told Local 10 News that her uncle, 80-year-old Mario Lamar Sr., was piloting the plane. His wife, Lili, 79, and their grandchildren, Sofia Sosa, 28, a neonatal physician assistant in Miami, and Christian Sosa, 22, a recent graduate of Loyola Marymount University, were also on board.
Mario and Lili Lamar. All four family members from South Florida who were aboard a small plane that went missing off the Bahamas Monday were found dead Tuesday after relatives launched their own search effort, a family member confirmed.
The four had traveled to the Bahamas for the holiday weekend, a trip Larrieu said her uncle had made countless times during his more than 40 years as a pilot, and were heading home to Miami.
“He always does this. The weather seemed fine,” Larrieu said. “My uncle maintained the plane in pristine condition. He was always on top of it. Anytime he was here in Miami, he would always be at the hangar working on his plane and ensuring it was up-to-date.”
According to Larrieu, the four took off from Great Harbour Cay at approximately 10:12 a.m. Monday.
About an hour later, the plane lost contact near Andros Island, she said.
Bahamas police identified the plane as a PA-34 Piper five-seater aircraft, with tail number N212ML. Police confirmed it departed Great Harbour Cay, a city in the Berry Islands of the Bahamas, and was headed to Opa-locka.
Air traffic control lost contact with the aircraft when it was about 13 miles west of Andros Island, Bahamas police said.
“So our initial investigation that came into our search-and-rescue operations team is that they left that area of the Barrier Islands and they wanted to divert from our inclement weather, and due to that factor, they ended up on that side of Andros as opposed to going a different direction, heading to Florida,” Lt. Darius Adams, of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, said.
Bahamian officials said they contacted the U.S. Coast Guard at about 2 p.m. Monday and requested assistance finding the downed plane, but the search had to be suspended due to bad weather, prompting relatives to conduct their own search.
“We are deeply grateful to everyone who supported us, searched alongside us, and kept our family in their prayers,” the victims’ family members said in their statement. “We respectfully ask for privacy as we mourn this unimaginable loss.”
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