Search Underway for US Family After Bahamas Plane Disappearance
Goldlaner.com – A search underway for US family members aboard a small private aircraft has drawn Coast Guard, Bahamian police, and volunteer rescue crews into the waters west of Andros Island. The Piper PA-34, tail number N212ML, departed Great Harbour Cay around 11:12 a.m. local time on a Monday morning bound for Opa-locka, Florida, but never arrived. Air-traffic controllers lost radio contact roughly 13 miles west of the island amid deteriorating storm conditions, leaving four relatives stranded in uncertainty while their family in the Miami area pleads publicly for any sighting that could guide rescuers.
Family Appeal and Passenger Details
Silvi Larrieu, niece of one of the occupants, issued a public statement naming the four people aboard: her uncle Mario Lamar, 80, his wife Lili Lamar, and two grandchildren, Christian Sosa and Sofi Sosa. Larrieu emphasized that her uncle carries more than four decades of personal flying experience, a fact that makes the disappearance all the more baffling to those who know him.
“On the flight this morning was my uncle Mario Lamar, his wife Lili Lamar and two of his grandchildren, Christian Sosa and Sofi Sosa.”
In a separate appeal, Larrieu urged anyone near the flight path — whether by plane, boat, or shoreline — to report anything unusual without delay: an aircraft in distress, strange activity on the water, or overheard radio transmissions. The family’s message was direct: help bring them back alive.
Timeline, Radar Data, and Search Operations
The Royal Bahamas Police Force logged a report around 2:20 p.m. stating that “an aircraft may have gone down in the waters off Red Bays,” a small settlement at the northwestern tip of Andros Island. By that point the plane was already hours overdue. Public FlightRadar24 data shows the N212ML appearing to circle near the Bahamian coastline before its transponder signal vanished entirely — a pattern investigators will examine for signs of a diverted approach, a holding pattern, or an emergency.
The designated search grid centers on waters approximately 15 miles off the western shore of Andros Island. The US Coast Guard is assisting the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and has deployed an HC-144 Ocean Sentry, a long-range maritime surveillance aircraft equipped with side-looking sonar, infrared sensors, and searchlights. An initial sweep was delayed by the same convective storms that obscured the area, but authorities, citing the Bahamas Air Sea Rescue Association, confirmed operations would resume as soon as conditions allowed.
“Efforts to locate the aircraft and its occupants remain a priority.”
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Bahamas, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the National Transportation Safety Board have all been notified. The Bahamas Air Sea Rescue Association, a volunteer body coordinating maritime and aerial rescues across the archipelago, is also engaged in the effort.
Weather as a Possible Factor
Heavy thunderstorms were active across the region when the aircraft went silent. Late-summer and early-autumn convective cells over open Bahamian water can develop rapidly, producing sudden visibility drops, intense turbulence, and close-range lightning. Investigators have not yet determined whether the storms played a direct role; mechanical failure, pilot incapacitation, and other causes remain under review.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where exactly was the aircraft last seen? Public radar data places the final transponder return roughly 13 miles west of Andros Island, near the Red Bays area. The search grid extends about 15 miles from the western shoreline.
Which agencies are conducting the search? The Royal Bahamas Police Force leads the local effort, supported by the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, the US Coast Guard (including an HC-144 Ocean Sentry), and the Bahamas Air Sea Rescue Association. The FAA, NTSB, and the Bahamas Civil Aviation Authority are providing regulatory and investigative support.
How can the public help? The family has asked anyone who was in the vicinity of the flight path — by air, sea, or land — to contact authorities immediately with any observation of an aircraft in distress, unusual water-surface activity, or overheard radio communications.
What type of aircraft was involved? A Piper PA-34, a single-engine, five-seat light aircraft registered as N212ML, operating a private flight from Great Harbour Cay to Opa-locka, Florida.