A desperate search is underway for a Florida couple and their two grandchildren after their small private plane disappeared over the waters near Andros Island while they were returning home from a Labor Day weekend in the Bahamas.
Bahamian authorities said they received a report at about 2:20 p.m. Monday that a five-seat PA-34 Piper aircraft traveling toward Opa-locka, Florida, had gone down approximately 13 miles west of Andros Island.
The plane had departed Great Harbor Cay earlier that morning. On board were pilot Mario Lamar, 80, his wife Lili Lamar, 79, and their grandchildren Sofia Sosa, 28, and Christian Sosa, 22, according to their family.
The four remain missing as search-and-rescue teams work to locate the aircraft.
Pilot Mario Lamar, 80, his wife Lili Lamar, 79, and two of their grandchildren, 28-year-old Sofia Sosa and 22-year-old Christian Sosa, are missing after their Florida-bound plane suddenly went down near Andros Island. Family Handout
“They Were Coming Home”
The Lamar family had spent the holiday weekend at their longtime home on Great Harbor Cay, enjoying what was supposed to be another peaceful visit to a place that had become like a second home.
“They’ve spent their whole life going there. That’s like their second home,” Mario and Lili’s niece, Silvia Larrieu, told the Miami Herald. “They were coming home.”
But the flight never reached Florida.
According to FlightAware data cited by the family, the aircraft’s speed began fluctuating significantly before its altitude dropped sharply—from roughly 10,000 feet to about 3,700 feet in just three minutes.
The plane was traveling near the northern end of Andros Island when the situation unfolded.
Larrieu said severe weather in the area made it difficult for Bahamian authorities to begin the search immediately.
In a plea for assistance, she appealed to anyone who might be able to help locate the missing aircraft.
“Please help,” Larrieu said in a video statement. “I ask anybody out there, if you can help with search and rescue efforts, we would greatly appreciate it. We need to bring them home.”
U.S. Coast Guard Joins Search
The search has now expanded to include the U.S. Coast Guard, which said it was assisting Bahamian authorities with an HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft.
Authorities are continuing efforts to determine the plane’s location and what happened during the flight.
For the family, the uncertainty has been agonizing.
Mario Lamar was an experienced pilot, and his relatives told ABC News that he had more than 40 years of flying experience and was well trained.
The family is now waiting for word from search crews as efforts continue in the waters near Andros Island.
Grandchildren Had Recently Graduated
Sofia and Christian were also at important moments in their young lives.
Sofia is a recent graduate of Wake Forest University, while her brother Christian had recently graduated from Loyola Marymount University, according to the family.
What began as a holiday weekend at the grandparents’ Bahamas home was supposed to end with a routine flight back to Florida.
Instead, the family is now facing an agonizing wait for news as rescuers continue searching for the four people aboard the missing aircraft.