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Relative says all 4 family members aboard plane missing off the Bahamas found dead
Relatives found the bodies after a bad-weather search was suspended, and the family said it is working with the U.S. Coast Guard to bring them home.
On Tuesday, relatives searching by boat recovered the bodies of all four family members who went missing after their plane departed Great Harbour Cay and lost contact Monday en route to Miami Executive Airport.
The PA-34 Piper carried pilot Mario Lamar, 80, his wife Lili, 79, and their grandchildren Sofi Sosa, 28, and Christian Sosa, 22; Lamar had more than 40 years of piloting experience and maintained the aircraft in pristine condition.
Air traffic control lost contact with the aircraft about 13 miles west of Andros Island, and while authorities requested Coast Guard assistance Monday afternoon, the Royal Bahamas Police Force postponed official search efforts due to inclement weather.
The family requested privacy as they mourn the 'unimaginable' loss while working with the Coast Guard to bring their loved ones home; Nicolina Converso confirmed a Coast Guard plane assisted the search.
These four deaths occurred less than two months after a plane crash in North Andros killed 10 people, exposing recurring safety challenges facing private aviation operations within the Bahamas.