Six aboard missing Ontario air ambulance presumed dead
· Toronto Sun
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The six crew members and passengers aboard the Ontario-based air ambulance that went missing while flying from Bermuda to Boston are now presumed dead, according to the company that operated the aircraft.
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Latitude Air Ambulance, based in Hamilton, issued a statement saying the U.S. Coast Guard called off its search-and-rescue operations and are now focusing on recovery efforts after the Heartbeat 104 Medevac disappeared early Saturday off the Massachusetts coast.
Who was on board?
“It is with profound sadness that we acknowledge the decision by the United States Coast Guard to conclude active search and rescue operations and transition to recovery efforts,” Latitude said in its statement late Sunday.
“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… are presumed to have died.”
The six were were travelling from Bermuda to Boston when the aircraft vanished.
“Our four crew members were valued members of the Latitude family. They dedicated themselves to providing care to people at some of the most difficult moments in their lives, and they were carrying out that mission when this tragedy occurred,” the company said.
The names of those aboard have not yet been released.
“We are grieving their loss deeply and will continue to support their families and our employees through the difficult days ahead,” Latitude continued.
“We extend that same care and compassion to the family and loved ones of our patient and family escort. We ask that the privacy of all of the families involved be respected as they grieve.”
Search suspended
The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search off the coast of Nantucket, Mass., at sunset on Sunday.
“Suspending a search is not an easy decision,” Rear Admiral Matthew Lake, the U.S. Coast Guard’s northeast district commander, said in a statement.
“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.”
‘Coming in blind’
The missing air ambulance had departed Bermuda’s L.F. Wade International Airport early Saturday morning, the airport’s operator Skyport said in statements obtained by various news outlets.
According to the flight-tracking website FlightAware.com, the missing plane took off at 12:41 a.m. and was scheduled to arrive at Boston Logan International Airport.
The plane was travelling at a cruising altitude of about 24,000 feet before sharply dropping to 11,000 feet, based on data posted on FlightAware.
Air traffic audio shared online indicates the air ambulance’s pilots may have encountered issues as it was approaching the Massachusetts coast.
HEART BEAT 104 (Latitude Air Ambulance) declared a emergency with NEW YORK CENTER ATC just after 0430 Zulu (12:30 AM Eastern) before they went missing.
— Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) October 3, 2026
Audio via @liveatc https://t.co/XutLh8mpa2 pic.twitter.com/THmLX3q2lL
“Roger, you said you’re coming in blind. Is that what you said?” an air traffic controller at a New York control centre asks the pilots in audio posted by LiveATC.net.
The controller repeatedly asks the pilots for confirmation, but no response is audible in the recording. He then asks another plane flying in the area to attempt to contact the air ambulance.
—With additional reporting by Ling Hui