Bahamas Plane Disappearance
Coast Guard and Bahamian Authorities Search for Missing Plane Carrying Four Family Members
Anonymous
Key Points
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The aircraft, identified by tail number N212ML, departed Great Harbour Cay at approximately 11:12 a.m. and was headed specifically to Opa-locka, Florida, according to Bahamian police.
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The U.S. Coast Guard deployed an HC-144 Ocean Sentry surveillance aircraft to assist Bahamian authorities in searching for the plane.
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Relatives said pilot Mario Lamar had more than 40 years of flying experience and was well-trained, providing additional context about his aviation background.
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The family had spent Labor Day weekend at their Great Harbour Cay home, which niece Silvia Larrieu described as the couple’s “second home”; relatives became concerned after the family group chat went silent and they checked flight-tracking data.
Four members of a South Florida family vanished Monday while flying a small aircraft from the Bahamas toward Miami, prompting a search-and-rescue operation across waters near Andros Island. The Piper PA-34 carrying pilot Mario Lamar, 80; his wife, Lili Lamar, 79; and grandchildren Sofia Sosa, 28, and Christian Sosa, 22, lost contact with air traffic control about 13 miles west of Andros Island after encountering severe weather ABC7.
Flight-tracking data showed the aircraft dropped sharply from 10,000 feet to 3,700 feet and circled erratically before radar contact ended around midday. Bahamian authorities and the U.S. Coast Guard launched search operations, but heavy thunderstorms delayed initial efforts. The family is now appealing to boaters and pilots for any information that could lead to locating the aircraft ABC7.
Experienced Pilot and Family's Vacation Turn to Disaster
Mario Lamar, the aircraft's pilot, had more than 40 years of flying experience and was described by relatives as well-trained. The family had spent Labor Day weekend at their Great Harbour Cay home in the Bahamas, which niece Silvia Larrieu called their "second home." Relatives became concerned when the group chat suddenly went silent and they checked flight-tracking data, revealing the aircraft's disappearance ABC7.
Aircraft Showed Signs of Distress Before Vanishing
The Piper PA-34, identified by tail number N212ML, departed Great Harbour Cay at approximately 11:12 a.m. bound for Opa-locka, Florida. About 13 miles west of Andros Island, the plane encountered severe weather and began showing troubling signs. Flight-tracking data revealed erratic speed changes, a sharp descent from 10,000 feet to 3,700 feet, and a looping flight path before air traffic control lost all contact ABC7.
Severe Weather Hampers Search Operations in Bahamas
Heavy thunderstorms and poor conditions delayed the initial search-and-rescue response. Bahamian authorities, led by police and defense forces, coordinated with the U.S. Coast Guard to cover the search area. The Coast Guard deployed an HC-144 Ocean Sentry surveillance aircraft to assist once weather conditions permitted ABC7.
Searchers focused near Red Bays and approximately 15 miles off Andros Island, using the aircraft's final flight data to narrow the probable crash zone. The erratic descent and circling pattern provided investigators with a corridor to search rather than a single precise location ABC7.
Family Appeals for Boaters and Pilots to Help Search
With initial search efforts yielding no results, the Lamar and Sosa families are now calling on anyone with information to come forward. Commercial boaters, private pilots, and anyone operating in the waters between Andros Island and South Florida may have spotted debris or other signs of the aircraft. The family hopes that expanded awareness and assistance from the maritime and aviation communities will help locate the missing plane and its four occupants ABC7.
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