Six victims identified after Boston-bound medevac jet disappears off Nantucket
Authorities have identified all six people aboard a medical jet that vanished over the Atlantic en route from Bermuda to Boston, and debris from the aircraft has been recovered.
A Gulfstream G100 operated by Latitude Air Ambulance disappeared early Saturday while flying from Bermuda to Boston, prompting a Coast Guard search off Nantucket. The U.S. Coast Guard suspended the search on Sunday after a civilian vessel recovered debris linked to the aircraft.
The six occupants have been identified as Bermudian mother Marilyn Lavonne Bean, 66, who was being transported for stroke treatment, her son Sergio Wayne Lottimore, and four Canadian crew members: captain Philip Gregory Childerhose, first officer Thomas Henry Farquhar, flight nurse Sarah Jane Paton and respiratory therapist Jolene Beth Weir.
Lottimore, senior vice president of Hamilton Re, was described by his employer as a respected leader and colleague. Bermuda Police have assigned a family liaison officer to assist the relatives.
Latitude Air Ambulance President Peter Byl said the company is focusing on supporting families and cooperating with authorities. Rear Adm. Matthew Lake, commander of the Coast Guard Northeast District, expressed condolences to the families and thanked the responding crews and partner agencies.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada, leading the investigation under international agreements, noted that the crew reported electrical problems as the jet approached the Boston area, after which the aircraft descended rapidly and lost contact south of Nantucket. Flight data showed a descent from 24,000 to 11,000 feet within about three minutes around 1 a.m. ET. The Federal Aviation Administration issued a Search and Rescue Alert at approximately 1:20 a.m. ET. The cause of the incident remains under investigation.