Officials have identified all six people who were aboard a medical transport jet that vanished over the Atlantic early Saturday while flying from Bermuda to Boston. The Coast Guard suspended its search Sunday after debris linked to the aircraft was found off Nantucket.
The passengers were Marilyn Lavonne Bean, 66, a Bermudian woman being flown to Boston for treatment related to a stroke, and her son, Sergio Wayne Lottimore, who was accompanying her.
The four-person Canadian flight and medical crew were identified by the US Coast Guard as Philip Gregory Childerhose, Thomas Henry Farquhar, Sarah Jane Paton and Jolene Beth Weir. According to the aircraft’s operator, Latitude Air Ambulance, Childerhose was the captain, Farquhar was the first officer, Paton served as flight nurse and Weir as respiratory therapist.
Lottimore worked as senior vice president and head of specialty reinsurance at Hamilton Re, a Bermuda-based company, which said in a statement, “The entire Hamilton team is heartbroken by the loss of a respected leader, colleague and friend.”
He was also a 2002 graduate of Warwick Academy, where he had served as a prefect; the school described him as an outstanding person. Bermuda Police said a family liaison officer has been assigned to support his family.
How the flight disappeared
The Gulfstream G100 departed Bermuda’s L.F. Wade International Airport late Friday night, bound for Boston Logan International Airport, a trip expected to take roughly two hours.
According to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, the crew reported electrical difficulties as the aircraft approached the Boston area before it descended rapidly and air traffic control lost contact south of Nantucket. Flight-tracking data showed the jet dropping from 24,000 feet to 11,000 feet in about three minutes, around 1 a.m. Saturday.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it issued a Search and Rescue Alert Notice at approximately 1:20 a.m. ET. Massport later confirmed the plane never reached Logan Airport, and a civilian vessel subsequently located debris associated with the aircraft.
Rear Adm. Matthew Lake, commander of the Coast Guard Northeast District, said Monday: “During this incredibly difficult time, our heartfelt condolences go out to the families and friends impacted by this tragic incident. We are grateful to the crews and partner agencies who quickly responded to this incident, and we will continue to support our Canadian partners as they conduct their investigation.”
Latitude Air Ambulance President Peter Byl said the company is mourning an “unimaginable loss,” adding: “Our focus now is on supporting their families, supporting our people and assisting the authorities. We will honour our colleagues by remembering the care, professionalism, and commitment they brought to their work every day.”
Because the Gulfstream was registered in Canada, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada is leading the investigation under international agreements, with the US National Transportation Safety Board assisting as an accredited representative.
