Coast Guard Finds Debris from Medical Plane, 6 Missing

The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed Sunday that it had located a debris field belonging to a Canadian air ambulance carrying six people that disappeared off the Massachusetts coast, then suspended its search at sunset after combing thousands of square miles for survivors. All six people aboard are now presumed dead.

The aircraft, a Gulfstream G100 registered as C-GRJP and operated by Hamilton, Ontario-based Latitude Air Ambulance, was flying from Bermuda to Boston Logan International Airport when it vanished early Saturday, according to NPR. Those aboard included four Canadians — two pilots and two medical staff — and two Bermudians: a patient and a family escort.

What Happened

The flight, operating under the callsign “Heartbeat 104,” departed Bermuda’s L.F. Wade International Airport at 12:41 a.m. local time Saturday. About an hour and 23 minutes into the journey, flight data shows the jet dropped from roughly 24,000 feet to 11,000 feet in two minutes, then leveled off for several minutes before disappearing. The pilot had declared an emergency, telling air traffic controllers the crew was experiencing electrical problems and “coming in blind” after losing radio and radar contact.

The Federal Aviation Administration alerted the Coast Guard around 2 a.m. after losing contact with the aircraft. Latitude Air Ambulance’s operations manager, Clarence Togeretz, told The Canadian Press that the company had been tracking the flight and lost contact with it around 1:30 a.m. as it approached Boston — the first time the company has ever lost contact with one of its planes.

“We’re praying for a safe outcome,” he said, as reported by CP24.

The Search and Its Conclusion

Crews located pieces of the jet late Saturday and confirmed they were associated with the aircraft. The debris field sits about 20 miles south of Nantucket, where the surrounding waters are roughly 80 to 90 feet deep. A Coast Guard news release said crews had searched 1,644 square miles over approximately 27 hours by Saturday night.

By the time the operation ended, the Coast Guard had searched for 66 hours and covered 4,445 miles, according to NBC 10 WJAR. Rear Adm. Matthew Lake, commander of the Coast Guard’s Northeast District, announced the suspension Sunday evening.

“Suspending a search is not an easy decision,” Lake said. “We express our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones affected by the tragedy and our gratitude for our partner agencies who helped support search efforts.”

Capt. John McTamney, the Coast Guard’s response chief in Boston, said crews used fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, boats and cutters in a saturated effort. “Our priority is to locate the six personnel from the aircraft,” he said. The aircraft’s flight data recorder — the so-called black box — was not among the debris recovered, a key setback for investigators seeking to understand what went wrong.

A Tri-National Loss

The incident spans three jurisdictions, complicating both the response and the investigation. Bermuda was the departure point and home to two of the passengers; Canada was home to the operator and four of those aboard; and the United States led the search and will lead the investigation. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and the Transportation Safety Board of Canada are examining the case.

Latitude Air Ambulance said in a statement that the six people aboard are presumed to have died. “Given the information shared by authorities and the conclusion of the search and rescue phase, we must now face the heartbreaking reality that the four members of our Latitude team, our patient and the patient’s family escort, who were aboard Heartbeat 104, are presumed to have died,” the company said. It pledged to cooperate fully with both national investigations. Company president Peter Byl described the accident as “an unimaginable loss.”

Bermuda’s Premier, David Burt, had earlier voiced hope as the search unfolded. “My thoughts are with everyone on board and their families during this deeply worrying time,” he said in a statement published by the Government of Bermuda. “We are praying that all six people will be found safe, and we thank the search and rescue crews for their continuing efforts.”

Canada’s Transportation Minister, Steven MacKinnon, said his government was “closely monitoring the situation” and thanked first responders. Ontario’s provincial air ambulance service, Ornge, expressed solidarity with its peer company, noting the flight was not connected to its own operations.

What’s Next

Attention now turns to recovery and investigation. Sonar-equipped vessels were being deployed near the debris field in hopes of locating the sunken aircraft, whose recovery will be central to determining the cause of the crash. Latitude declined to speculate, calling the process “careful and methodical.”

The loss also raises broader questions about the risks borne by air ambulance crews, who routinely fly critically ill patients in demanding conditions. On its website, Latitude notes it has run thousands of missions since 2009 and has long promoted what it described as a flawless safety record — a claim now under painful scrutiny as investigators work to piece together the final minutes of Heartbeat 104.