Six Lives Lost as Coast Guard Ends Search for Downed Air Ambulance
The 66-hour search covered 4,445 square miles but found no survivors from the Gulfstream G100 crash.
The U.S. Coast Guard has called off its search for six people aboard a medical transport jet that crashed off Nantucket, Massachusetts, after locating only debris in waters just 80-90 feet deep. The Gulfstream G100, operated by Latitude Air Ambulance, went down early Saturday while ferrying a Bermudian mother and son to Boston for medical care.
The Coast Guard’s Northeast District commander, Rear Adm. Matthew Lake, confirmed the decision to suspend the search on Sunday, citing the absence of survivors after covering 4,445 square miles of ocean. “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.”
The crash: what we know: Coast Guard
The aircraft, a Gulfstream G100 (tail number C-GRJP) with the call sign Heartbeat 104, departed L.F. Wade International Airport in Bermuda around midnight on Friday, bound for Boston Logan International Airport. Bean had suffered a stroke and was being transported for treatment, accompanied by her son.
At approximately 0100 hours, flight tracking data showed the plane slowing abruptly before plummeting from its cruising altitude of 24,000 feet. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a search and rescue alert at 1:20 am, triggering a large-scale response. The Coast Guard deployed three search planes, three helicopter aircrews, a motor lifeboat, and the cutter USCGC William Sparling to scour the area south of Nantucket.
The debris field was found roughly 20 miles south of the island, in waters shallow enough for salvage divers to reach.
The search effort and its aftermath
The Coast Guard’s decision to halt the search came after 66 hours of continuous operations, during which responders combed an area 4,445 square miles.
The crash is the second involving a medical transport aircraft off the U.S. coast in a week, following the loss of a helicopter air ambulance off California. Latitude Air Ambulance, which operated the Gulfstream G100, described the incident as “an unimaginable loss for our Latitude family.” The company’s president, Peter Byl, said in a statement: “This is an unimaginable loss for our Latitude family, and for everyone who loved the six people aboard Heartbeat 104.”
The aircraft was equipped with medical supplies equivalent to an ICU, including suction and oxygen, and was designed to carry one stretcher. The Bermuda Police Service (BPS) confirmed the identities of the Bermudian passengers on Monday, while the U.S.
The investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing, with early flight data suggesting the plane experienced a sudden loss of control. The shallow depth of the debris field, 80-90 feet, means salvage operations could proceed relatively quickly once the wreckage is located.
For the families of those lost, the tragedy has left unanswered questions. Marilyn Bean’s relatives told WCVB, an ABC-affiliated station in Boston, that she had been seeking advanced medical care after suffering a stroke. Her son, Sergio Lottimore, had accompanied her on the flight.
The U.S. Coast Guard has urged anyone with information about the crash to contact its investigations division. The agency has not indicated whether additional regulations will follow, but the NTSB’s final report could prompt changes in medical transport aviation.
As the maritime and aviation communities grapple with the loss, the focus now shifts to recovery and prevention. The Coast Guard has pledged to assist in any salvage efforts, while Latitude Air Ambulance has offered counseling and support to the families of the victims. For now, the waters off Nantucket remain a somber reminder of the risks inherent in medical transport flights, even as investigators work to determine what went wrong.
Sign up free to ask CAMAL AI for a summary, the key points or anything else about this story.
Related stories
CAMAL AI
Financial Ports Newsletter
The maritime economy, every morning
Ports, shipping and freight markets in one short email. Free.
