In a statement, Rear Admiral Matthew Lake, Commander of the Northeast District, said “suspending a search is not an easy decision.”
The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for the six people aboard the air ambulance that went missing off the coast of Nantucket.
In a statement, Rear Admiral Matthew Lake, Commander of the Northeast District, said “suspending a search is not an easy decision.”
“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.”
Six passengers were on board the Gulfstream G100 air ambulance when it departed from Bermuda for Boston at 12:41am on Saturday – four Canadian nationals, including two pilots and two medical crew, plus two Bermudian nationals, a patient and one relative.
US Air Traffic Control lost contact with the aircraft shortly after it appears the pilots had indicated they were “coming in blind”, and had declared an emergency.
Online flight telemetry data indicates that the jet experienced a sudden, rapid descent – dropping more than 9,000 feet in approximately two minutes – shortly before it went missing.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a search and rescue alert for the plane at 1:20 am.
Since the alert went out, the U.S. Coast Guard and partner agency assets have searched 4,445 miles.
U.S.C.G. states that agencies participating in the search include:
- An HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane crew from Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod
- An HC-130 Hercules crew from Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod
- An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod
- 47-foot Motor Lifeboat crews from Coast Guard Station Brant Point
- The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter William Sparling, a Boston-based Fast Response Cutter
- Two HH-60 helicopter crews from the New York Air National Guard’s 106th Rescue Wing
- An HC-130 aircraft from the New York Air National Guard’s 106th Rescue Wing
- The passengers’ next of kin have been notified.
The U.S.C.G. advises that a future investigation into the cause of the incident will be coordinated by the appropriate investigative authorities.
