Six individuals on a medical evacuation flight that went missing off the U. S. East Coast while traveling from Bermuda to Boston are now presumed dead after search-and-rescue efforts were called off, according to the Ontario-based company that operated the aircraft.
Hamilton-based Latitude Air Ambulance released a statement saying the United States Coast Guard has concluded active search-and-rescue operations and has moved to recovery efforts following the disappearance of Heartbeat 104 Medevac.
Authorities had been searching waters near Nantucket, Mass., after the aircraft vanished early Saturday morning.
The company stated that this decision means they must now face “the heartbreaking reality” that the six people on board are presumed dead.
Aboard the Gulfstream G100 were four Latitude crew members, a patient being transported from Bermuda to Boston, and a family escort accompanying the patient, according to the company.
The plane disappeared around 1:30 a. m. ET Saturday while en route to Boston. Earlier Sunday, the Coast Guard mentioned that search crews were concentrating their efforts around a debris field found in the area but did not specify whether they had shifted from rescue operations to recovery.
Air traffic audio suggests that the plane may have been “coming in blind” as a storm approached just before it vanished.
The pilot reported electrical issues and declared an emergency as they neared the coast, based on air traffic control audio shared by Live ATC. net. “Roger, you said you’re coming in blind. Is that what you said?” one controller can be heard asking the pilot.
Latitude stated its four crew members were performing their duty of providing care during difficult times when this tragedy struck.
“Our four crew members were valued members of the Latitude family,” said the company in its statement. “They dedicated themselves to providing care to people at some of the most difficult moments in their lives.”
In a statement, Latitude president Peter Byl described this loss as “unimaginable” and noted that their immediate focus is on supporting families of those aboard and aiding investigators.
The company indicated it will continue cooperating with U. S. National Transportation Safety Board, Transportation Safety Board of Canada, and other authorities involved in both recovery efforts and investigations.
No cause has been determined yet, and Latitude mentioned it won’t speculate while investigators look into what happened.
With files from John Marchesan and Denio Lourenco, City News
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