Piper PA-34-200T With 4 Family Members Disappears West of Andros Island After Rapid Descent
Why It MattersThe disappearance underscores search-and-rescue coordination challenges in remote Bahamian waters, where weather delays can hamper timely response to general-aviation emergencies.
A Piper PA-34-200T Seneca carrying four members of an American family went missing in waters off the Bahamas after air traffic control lost contact with the aircraft approximately 13 miles west of Andros Island. The Royal Bahamas Police Force said it received a report at 2:20 p.m. Monday that an aircraft may have gone down off Red Bays, and officials confirmed contact had been lost. The flight had departed Great Harbour Cay at 11:12 a.m.
A family statement identified the four aboard as Mario Lamar Sr., 80; Lili Lamar, 79; Sofi Sosa, 28; and Christian Sosa, 22 — two grandparents and two grandchildren. Mario Lamar Sr. is described in the statement as "an experienced pilot with more than 40 years of flying experience." FlightAware data showed the aircraft descended from 10,000 feet to 3,700 feet in approximately three minutes before disappearing from radar.
The Bahamas Air Sea Rescue Association was notified, and the U.S. Coast Guard attempted to search the area, but poor weather conditions forced authorities to postpone search operations until conditions improved. The Lamar and Sosa families said they are "deeply grateful to everyone participating in the search and to those who have reached out with support."
