The six people aboard a medical jet that vanished over the Atlantic while flying to Boston have been identified as a Bermudian mother and son and four Canadian aviation and medical professionals.
Marilyn Lavonne Bean, 66, was being flown to Boston for stroke-related treatment. Her son, Sergio Wayne Lottimore, was traveling with her on the medevac aircraft.
The U.S. Coast Guard identified the Canadian crew members as Philip Gregory Childerhose, Thomas Henry Farquhar, Sarah Jane Paton and Jolene Beth Weir.
Jolene Beth Weir, left, and Sergio Wayne Lottimore with his mother, Marilyn Lavonne Bean, were among the six people aboard the medevac jet that disappeared near Nantucket. (Facebook/Mackenzie Weir; Facebook)
According to Latitude Air Ambulance, Childerhose was the captain, Farquhar the first officer, Paton the flight nurse and Weir the respiratory therapist.
The Gulfstream G100 disappeared early Saturday during a flight from Bermuda to Boston, prompting a large Coast Guard search in waters off Nantucket. Officials called off the search Sunday after finding debris linked to the aircraft.
Hamilton Re said Lottimore had been the Bermuda-based company’s senior vice president and head of specialty reinsurance.
“The entire Hamilton team is heartbroken by the loss of a respected leader, colleague and friend,” the company said in a statement.
Sergio Wayne Lottimore, left, and his mother, Marilyn Lavonne Bean, were aboard the medevac flight headed to Boston when it disappeared off Nantucket. (Facebook)
Lottimore, a 2002 graduate of Warwick Academy, had served as a prefect at the school. Warwick Academy remembered him as an “outstanding person.”
Bermuda Police said a family liaison officer was assigned to support the relatives.
The aircraft belonged to Latitude Air Ambulance, a Canadian medical transport operator. The company had previously confirmed to News Media that the Gulfstream was conducting a medevac mission and was expected to fly from Bermuda to Boston in about two hours.
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Latitude Air Ambulance President Peter Byl said the company was grieving an “unimaginable loss.”
“Our focus now is on supporting their families, supporting our people and assisting the authorities,” Byl said. “We will honour our colleagues by remembering the care, professionalism, and commitment they brought to their work every day.”
The medevac flight left L.F. Wade International Airport in Bermuda late Friday night, bound for Boston Logan International Airport.
Jolene Beth Weir, the respiratory therapist aboard the missing Boston-bound medevac aircraft, is pictured with a dog. (Facebook/Mackenzie Weir)
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada said the crew reported electrical problems as the aircraft neared Boston. The jet then descended rapidly, and air traffic controllers lost contact with it south of Nantucket.
FlightAware data previously reviewed by News Media indicated that the aircraft dropped from 24,000 feet to 11,000 feet in approximately three minutes at about 1 a.m. Saturday.
The Federal Aviation Administration previously told News Media that it issued a Search and Rescue Alert Notice at roughly 1:20 a.m. Eastern time. Massport later said the aircraft never reached Boston Logan.
The Coast Guard said a civilian vessel eventually found debris believed to be associated with the aircraft.
“During this incredibly difficult time, our heartfelt condolences go out to the families and friends impacted by this tragic incident,” Rear Adm. Matthew Lake, commander of the Coast Guard Northeast District, said Monday.
“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,” Lake added.
Canada is leading the investigation because the aircraft was registered there, in accordance with international agreements, according to the TSB. The National Transportation Safety Board is assisting as an accredited representative for the United States.
The cause has not yet been determined.