Bahamas police said a five-seat Piper aircraft took off from Great Harbour Cay in the Berry Islands.
Contact with the aircraft, which was headed to Miami Executive Airport in the US state of Florida, was lost about 21 kilometers west of Andros Island. Authorities believe the plane may have made a forced landing at sea or crashed off the coast of North Andros.
US crews join search operation
Bahamian authorities contacted the US Coast Guard after losing communication with the aircraft and requested aerial support. A patrol aircraft was sent to the area to join the search.
However, operations were temporarily suspended due to worsening weather conditions in the area. It remains unclear when search and rescue efforts will resume.
Four members of the same family were on board
The aircraft was carrying 80-year-old pilot Mario Lamar, his 79-year-old wife, Lili Lamar, and the couple’s two grandchildren. Four members of the same family remain unaccounted for.
Family members have called on authorities and people in the area to support search and rescue efforts so that the aircraft wreckage and their relatives can be located as soon as possible.
The Bahamas, an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, consists of hundreds of islands and cays. Its extensive waters and changing weather conditions can make aviation search and rescue operations particularly challenging.
