Four members of Florida family missing after small plane disappears near Bahamas
A Piper PA-34 carrying two seniors and their two adult grandchildren vanished off the coast of North Andros, prompting a joint search effort by Bahamian police and the U.S. Coast Guard.
A Piper PA-34 aircraft that departed Great Harbour Cay in the Berry Islands on Monday was reported missing about 13 miles west of Andros Island. The plane, registered as N212ML, was en route to Miami Executive Airport with four occupants: 80-year-old pilot Mario Lamar, his 79-year-old wife Lili Lamar, and their grandchildren Sofia Sosa, 28, and Christian Sosa, 22.
Bahamas police said they lost contact with the aircraft and alerted the U.S. Coast Guard around 2 p.m. The Coast Guard dispatched an HC-144 Ocean Sentry to assist with the search, according to a spokesperson.
"Southeast District command center watchstanders coordinated the launch of an HC-144 Ocean Sentry to assist Bahamian authorities with the search," the spokesperson said.
Search operations were halted due to adverse weather conditions, and officials have not indicated when they will resume.