Four members of a Miami family who vanished Monday aboard a small plane near the Bahamas have been found dead, relatives confirmed Tuesday. The search drew an outpouring of assistance, but in the end it was family members who located the bodies, recovering them from the water in their own vessels.
The dead were identified as pilot Mario Lamar Sr., 80, his wife Lili Lamar, 79, and their grandchildren Sofia Sosa, 28, and Christian Sosa, 22. In a statement, the family said relatives ultimately found their loved ones and brought them aboard their own boats. They are now working with the U.S. Coast Guard to bring the remains home safely and with dignity.
Mario Lamar was an experienced aviator, according to the family, with more than 40 years of flying. His niece, Silvia Larrieu, said he kept his Piper PA-34 in pristine condition and filed a flight plan before leaving. She told CBS News Miami that the trip was routine, noting they would fly all the time.
The plane departed Great Harbour Cay around 11:12 a.m. Monday, bound for Miami Executive Airport. The Bahamas Police Department said air traffic control lost contact with the aircraft roughly 13 miles west of Andros Island. Tracking data from FlightAware showed the plane’s speed oscillating wildly before its altitude fell from about 10,000 feet to 3,700 feet within three minutes. The flight path traced a circle, and then the data stopped.
Larrieu said the family first sensed trouble when their group chat went quiet. A text from Sofia, sent just before takeoff, went unanswered. Hours later, messages remained unreturned, so relatives checked FlightAware themselves and saw the plane’s erratic final minutes.
The U.S. Coast Guard joined the Royal Bahamas Defense Force in searching the waters off Andros Island. Poor weather initially delayed the effort, and by Monday evening the official search had yielded nothing. Meanwhile, the Lamars’ son had flown to Andros and secured a boat to join the search. Two civilian vessels also left Miami to help, Larrieu said.
Before all four were found, Larrieu made an emotional plea for more searchers. She asked anyone who could go out to join the rescue mission to help find the other three relatives. The family needed peace and wanted them home safe.
The family held out hope that the group might have survived a water landing. Mario Lamar spent his spare time at the hangar checking maintenance, Larrieu said, and he had all required safety gear aboard. She described him as a very conservative pilot.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority of the Bahamas is investigating the crash. The agency said as of Tuesday afternoon it had not located the plane or any wreckage, and no official cause has been determined. The family has asked for privacy as they mourn what they called an unimaginable loss.
