US Coast Guard finds aircraft debris, searches for six people

Matt Lake, head of the US Coast Guard’s Northeast District, said the search for the six people aboard the aircraft that crashed near Nantucket Island remains the top priority.

Operative Information Center-OMM reports that debris from the missing aircraft was found about 32 kilometers from Nantucket Island, at a depth of 24.4 to 27.4 meters. Lake said search-and-rescue efforts continued intensively in the area over the weekend.

The continuous operation, involving local authorities in Massachusetts and rescue units from the New York National Guard, lasted more than 53.5 hours. During that time, teams searched an area of nearly 7,355 square kilometers.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) previously said contact was lost with a “Gulfstream G100” medical aircraft operated by “Latitude Air Ambulance” after it disappeared from radar. The aircraft was flying from Bermuda to Boston and carried four Canadian citizens and two residents of Bermuda. Search-and-rescue operations in the area are continuing.