Bermuda mother and son identified in air ambulance crash off Nantucket
In short
Bermuda police identified Marilyn Lavonne Bean, 66, and her son Sergio Wayne Lottimore, 41, both Bermudian nationals, as the two passengers on a Gulfstream G100 air ambulance that went missing off Nantucket, Massachusetts, around 1 a.m. Saturday on a flight from Bermuda to Boston. Four crew members were also aboard. The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search Sunday after 66 hours covering more than 4,400 miles, and searchers found debris about 20 miles off Nantucket. The NTSB said Monday that investigative jurisdiction is still being determined.
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A mother and her son from Bermuda were identified Monday as the two passengers aboard an air ambulance that went missing off Nantucket, Massachusetts, over the weekend while flying from Bermuda to Boston. Bermuda police named them as Marilyn Lavonne Bean, 66, and Sergio Wayne Lottimore, 41, both Bermudian nationals. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The aircraft, a Gulfstream G100 operated by Ontario-based Latitude Air Ambulance, was carrying four crew members as well as the two passengers when it went missing off Nantucket around 1 a.m. Saturday, according to Bermuda police. Bermuda is about 750 to 780 miles (roughly 1,200 to 1,250 kilometers) southeast of Boston. Searchers found a debris field off the island, and the U.S. Coast Guard said the debris was about 20 miles off Nantucket. After a 66-hour search that spanned more than 4,400 miles (7,081 kilometers), the Coast Guard suspended rescue efforts Sunday with no sign of the six people aboard. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Latitude Air Ambulance said Sunday that its staff face the “heartbreaking reality” that all aboard the plane are now presumed dead, even if they have not been officially declared dead. “Our four crew members were valued members of the Latitude family,” the company said. “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. We are grieving their loss deeply.” The names of the crew have not been released. [ 1 , 2 ]
Bermuda Premier David Burt said in a statement that “while we held out hope for the best, the worst fears have been realized” and asked that hearts be opened to the families. Warwick Academy, the school Lottimore attended in Bermuda, remembered him as a school prefect and an “outstanding person.” Hamilton Re, the Bermuda insurance firm where he served as a senior vice president, said it had lost a “respected leader, colleague and friend.” [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The National Transportation Safety Board said in a statement Monday that the “appropriate investigative jurisdiction is currently being determined,” adding that “additional information regarding jurisdiction is expected to be announced soon” and that “there is no further information available at this time.” The aircraft was registered in Canada and the four crew members were Canadian nationals, the Boston Globe reported. [ 3 ]
The aircraft, initially called by the model name Astra SPX and later changed to Gulfstream G100, was built by Israel Aerospace Industries in 1996 and brought to Canada in 2012, according to the Canadian Civil Aircraft Register. Latitude Air Ambulance has owned it since 2018, agency records show. [ 3 ]
Officials have said there was one patient and one family member on board the plane, but it was not immediately clear Monday whether it was the mother or the son who was flying to Boston for medical care. [ 3 ]
Why it matters
The loss of six people, including four crew members of a Canadian air ambulance operator, has drawn statements from Bermuda's premier and the operator's leadership, and the search has ended without anyone being found. Because the aircraft was registered in Canada and the four crew were Canadian nationals, the NTSB says it is still deciding which authority leads the investigation, a question it expects to resolve soon.
Key facts
- Bermuda police identified Marilyn Lavonne Bean, 66, and her son Sergio Wayne Lottimore, 41, both Bermudian nationals, as the two passengers aboard the missing air ambulance. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The aircraft, a Gulfstream G100, went missing off Nantucket around 1 a.m. Saturday on a flight from Bermuda to Boston with four crew members aboard. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The U.S. Coast Guard suspended the search Sunday after a 66-hour effort spanning more than 4,400 miles; searchers found debris about 20 miles off Nantucket but did not locate anyone. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Latitude Air Ambulance, the Ontario-based operator, said its staff face the “heartbreaking reality” that all aboard are presumed dead, describing the four crew as valued members of the Latitude family. [ 2 ]
- Bermuda Premier David Burt said “the worst fears have been realized” and asked that hearts be opened to the families. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The NTSB said the “appropriate investigative jurisdiction is currently being determined,” adding that more information is expected soon. [ 3 ]
- The names of the four crew members have not been released. [ 1 , 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Marilyn Lavonne Bean, 66, and Sergio Wayne Lottimore, 41, both Bermudian nationals, were the two passengers on the flight, according to Bermuda police. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The aircraft was a Gulfstream G100 that went missing off Nantucket around 1 a.m. Saturday while flying from Bermuda to Boston, with four crew members also aboard. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The U.S. Coast Guard found a debris field and later suspended search and rescue efforts on Sunday, with no sign of the six people on board. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Bermuda Premier David Burt issued a statement on the loss. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Latitude Air Ambulance, based in Ontario, owned and operated the aircraft. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Whether Bean or Lottimore was the patient being flown to Boston for medical care. The Boston Globe reported that officials said there was one patient and one family member on board, but that it was not immediately clear Monday which of the two it was.
- The names of the four crew members. The Associated Press and The Seattle Times both reported that the crew names have not been released.
- Which authority will lead the investigation. The NTSB said the appropriate investigative jurisdiction is currently being determined, with no further information available at that time.
- The cause of the crash. None of the documents state a cause for the aircraft going missing.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- The Gulfstream G100 air ambulance went missing off Nantucket, Massachusetts, on a flight from Bermuda to Boston, with two passengers and four crew aboard. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Bermuda police identified the passengers as Marilyn Lavonne Bean, 66, and her son Sergio Wayne Lottimore, 41, both Bermudian nationals. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The Boston Globe reported the NTSB statement that the appropriate investigative jurisdiction is still being determined. [ 3 ]