The six people aboard a Boston-bound medical jet that vanished over the Atlantic have been identified by authorities.
The passengers were Marilyn Lavonne Bean, 66, a Bermudian woman being transported for stroke treatment, and her son, Sergio Wayne Lottimore, who accompanied her on the medevac flight. The four Canadians operating the aircraft were named as Captain Philip Gregory Childerhose, First Officer Thomas Henry Farquhar, flight nurse Sarah Jane Paton and respiratory therapist Jolene Beth Weir, according to the US Coast Guard and Latitude Air Ambulance.
Lottimore, 46, was senior vice president and head of specialty reinsurance at Hamilton Re, the Bermuda-based company confirmed. “The entire Hamilton team is heartbroken by the loss of a respected leader, colleague and friend,” the firm said in a statement. He was also a 2002 graduate of Warwick Academy, where he had served as a prefect; the school remembered him as an “outstanding person.”
Latitude Air Ambulance President Peter Byl addressed the loss in a statement Monday. “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 Gulfstream G100 disappeared early Saturday while traveling from Bermuda to Boston. The flight departed L.F. Wade International Airport late Friday night bound for Boston Logan International Airport, a journey Latitude had expected to take roughly two hours.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada said the crew reported electrical difficulties as the aircraft approached the Boston area. The jet then descended rapidly, and air traffic control lost contact south of Nantucket. FlightAware data showed the aircraft dropping from 24,000 feet to 11,000 feet in approximately three minutes around 1 a.m. Saturday.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a Search and Rescue Alert Notice at approximately 1:20 a.m. ET. Massport later confirmed the aircraft never arrived at Boston Logan. A civilian vessel located debris associated with the aircraft, prompting the Coast Guard to suspend the search Sunday.
Rear Adm. Matthew Lake, commander of the Coast Guard Northeast District, spoke Monday about the suspended operation. “During this incredibly difficult time, our heartfelt condolences go out to the families and friends impacted by this tragic incident,” Lake said. “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.”
Canada is leading the investigation because the aircraft was registered there, the TSB noted, with the National Transportation Safety Board assisting as an accredited US representative. Bermuda Police said a family liaison officer had been assigned to assist Bean and Lottimore’s family.
The aircraft was operated by Latitude Air Ambulance, a Canadian medical transport company that had confirmed the Gulfstream was operating as a medevac flight.
The Coast Guard and Bermuda Police did not respond to requests for additional comment Tuesday.