The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for an Ontario-based air ambulance that went missing Saturday with six people on board, including four Canadians.
The Gulfstream G100 jet had taken off from Bermuda’s L.F. Wade International Airport and was scheduled to land at Boston Logan International Airport early Saturday, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told CBC News.
The jet C-GRJP is registered to Latitude Air Ambulance, an Ontario-based company that operates out of John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport.
The FAA said it issued a search and rescue alert notice for the jet at 1:20 a.m. ET.
“The FAA is coordinating with the Rescue Coordination Center and the U.S. Coast Guard to locate the aircraft,” it said.
The U.S. Coast Guard air is searching for the aircraft off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, said the force’s northeast division in a post on social media platform X.
CBC’s Sheehan Desjardins brings us the latest updates from on the ground in Hamilton, where Latitude Air Ambulance is based.
Five teams are assisting in the search, the force said, including an airplane and helicopter crew from Cape Cod, a 47-foot motor lifeboat from Brant Point and the William Sparling patrol ship.
According to flight tracking website FlightAware, the jet dropped from an altitude of about 7,300 metres to 3,400 metres at approximately 1 a.m. ET before stabilizing.
Nantucket Memorial Airport in Massachusetts was told the aircraft had reportedly declared an emergency before it lost contact, airport spokesperson Preston Harimon said in a statement Saturday.
“Details regarding the circumstances of the incident remain unconfirmed,” Harimon said. “Nantucket Memorial Airport will not speculate on the cause of the event.”
‘Praying for a safe outcome’
The crew of the air ambulance — two pilots and two medical staff — are Canadian, said Clarence Togeretz, director of flight operations at Latitude.
They had flown to Bermuda to collect a patient and their relative, who are not Canadian, Togeretz told CBC in a phone call.
Latitude had been tracking the flight and lost contact with it around 1:30 a.m. Saturday as it was approaching Boston, he said.
When the plane failed to land, the company notified the U.S. Coast Guard, Togeretz said.
This is the first time Latitude Air Ambulance has lost contact with one of its planes, Togeretz said.
The company is “dealing with the situation with as much positivity and optimism as we can,” Togeretz said.
“We’re praying for a safe outcome,” he said.
The jet’s last trip was from Hamilton to the North Atlantic island of Bermuda on Friday evening, according to flight history on Flightradar24. Before Friday and Saturday’s flights, the jet had flown within Canada over the past week.
According to Latitude’s website, the company works with global insurance companies, governments and other organizations to provide medical evacuation and repatriation services.
It said each air ambulance flight is staffed with two pilots and a medical team trained to provide any necessary care to patients. The company has four Gulfstream G100 jets in its fleet of 10 aircraft.
Canadian, Bermudan officials co-ordinating
The Canadian government is “closely monitoring” the situation and working with U.S. authorities as search and rescue efforts continue, Federal Minister of Transportation Steven MacKinnon said on X.
“My thoughts are with everyone on board, as well as their families, loved ones and colleagues during this incredibly difficult time,” he said.
Global Affairs Canada said it is aware of reports that Canadians who were aboard a Latitude Air Ambulance are missing.
“Consular officials stand ready to provide consular assistance and are in contact with local authorities,” it said in a statement Saturday. “Due to privacy considerations, no further information can be disclosed.”
The Bermudan government is in contact with the families of those on board and with overseas authorities coordinating the search, Bermuda Premier David Burt said on Instagram.
“We are praying that all six people will be found safe, and we thank the search and rescue crews for their continuing effort,” he said.
Flight was not related to Ontario air ambulance transport
Joshua McNamara, a spokesperson for Ontario-based air ambulance service Ornge, said the company was “deeply concerned” by reports of the missing Latitude Air Ambulance flight.
The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for an Ontario-based air ambulance jet that went missing with six people on board while flying from Bermuda to Boston Saturday. The jet is registered to Latitude Air Ambulance, a Hamilton-based air ambulance provider, according to the flight tracking website Flightradar24.
The flight was not an Ontario air ambulance transport and not related to Ornge operations, he told CBC News in an emailed statement.
“Our thoughts are with the crew, passengers, their families, and everyone at Latitude Air Ambulance during this difficult time,” he said.
“We remain hopeful that the aircraft and all those on board are located safely and quickly.”
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is gathering information on the missing jet to assess what has happened, spokesperson Hugo Fontaine said in an email to CBC News.
CBC News has contacted Transportation Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Transportation for further information.
Source: www.cbc.ca
