Search Underway for Missing American Family After Small Plane Vanishes Near Bahamas

A search operation is in progress for four American citizens who disappeared Monday after their small aircraft reportedly went down near the Bahamas coast. The group consisted of two grandparents and two grandchildren, according to family statements and officials from the U.S. Coast Guard and Bahamian authorities.

The Royal Bahamian Defense Force requested assistance from the Coast Guard around 2 p.m. following reports of a downed plane carrying four individuals approximately 15 miles off Andros Island. Bahamian police confirmed that officers on Andros are coordinating with search teams near Red Bays in North Andros.

Authorities identified the missing aircraft as a PA-34 Piper five-seater with tail number N212ML. The plane departed from Great Harbour Cay at about 11:12 a.m., bound for Miami Executive Airport, formerly known as Tamiami Airport. Air traffic control lost contact with the aircraft roughly 13 miles west of Andros Island, with the family statement noting last contact occurred around 11:04 a.m. near the island’s western side.

The passengers have been identified as Mario Lamar Sr., 80; his wife Lili Lamar, 79; and their grandchildren, Sofi Sosa, 28, and Christian Sosa, 22. A family statement highlighted that Mario Lamar was a seasoned pilot with over 40 years of flying experience.

Bahamian police reported that poor weather conditions initially delayed the search effort, though operations are now underway. The family issued a statement requesting that Bahamian officials, the U.S. Coast Guard, and local authorities mobilize all available resources to locate the plane and its occupants as quickly as possible.

“The Lamar and Sosa families are deeply grateful to everyone participating in the search and to those who have reached out with support,” the statement said. This is a developing story.