Florida Family’s Bahamas Trip Ends in Tragedy After Plane Goes Down

Four members of a Florida family were found dead Tuesday after the small plane they were traveling in went down off the coast of the Bahamas, according to a family member.

According to Fox News, the group was returning to Florida after spending the Labor Day weekend at a vacation property in Great Harbour Cay.

The victims were identified by relatives as pilot Mario Lamar, 80, his wife, Lili Lamar, 79, and their grandchildren, Sofia Sosa, 28, and Christian Sosa, 22. The family said relatives and civilians joined the search and eventually recovered the bodies.

"It is with profound sadness that we confirm all four of our family members have been found deceased," Silvia Larrieu, the niece of Mario and Lili, said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital.

Larrieu said relatives located their loved ones and brought them aboard their own vessels. The family is now working with the U.S. Coast Guard to bring the victims home and asked for privacy while they mourn.

The Royal Bahamas Police Force said the PA-34 Piper aircraft, tail number N212ML, departed Great Harbour Cay and was headed to Opa-locka, Florida. Air traffic control lost contact with the aircraft about 13 miles west of Andros Island after authorities received a report that it may have gone down near Red Bays.

The U.S. Coast Guard sent an HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft to assist Bahamian authorities with the search. Officials said poor weather initially forced search operations to be postponed until conditions improved.

Flight tracking data reviewed by news outlets showed the aircraft losing altitude rapidly before disappearing from radar. According to FlightAware data cited by the Miami Herald, the plane dropped from about 10,000 feet to 3,700 feet in roughly three minutes.

The family said Mario had more than 40 years of flying experience and regularly traveled to the Bahamas. Larrieu also said he maintained the aircraft carefully, describing it as being kept in "pristine" condition.

The family had spent the holiday weekend at their Great Harbour Cay property before beginning the flight back to South Florida. Authorities have not announced what caused the crash.

"We are deeply grateful to everyone who supported us, searched alongside us, and kept our family in their prayers," Larrieu said. "We respectfully ask for privacy as we mourn this unimaginable loss."

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