US Coast Guard Suspends Search for Six People on Crashed Medical Jet

The United States Coast Guard has suspended its search for six individuals aboard a medical transport jet that crashed while traveling from Bermuda to Boston. Rear Admiral Matthew Lake, commander of the Coast Guard’s Northeast District, stated in a press release on Sunday, "Suspending a search is not an easy decision." The search was concluded after teams spent approximately 66 hours covering 4,445 miles (7,150 km) by air and sea, confirming that debris found off the shore of Massachusetts’s Nantucket Island originated from the aircraft. The Gulfstream G100 was carrying two pilots, two medical staff, a patient, and a relative, according to Clarence Togeretz, director of flight operations at Canada-based Latitude Air Ambulance, as reported by Canada’s public broadcaster CBC. Authorities indicated that the four crew members were Canadian, while the two passengers were Bermudian. In a statement released on Sunday, Latitude Air Ambulance remarked, "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 Heartbeat 104, are presumed to have died." Investigations are now focusing on the circumstances surrounding the jet’s final moments, during which flight-tracking data indicated a steep descent and air traffic controllers experienced difficulties in re-establishing contact. The cause of the aircraft's descent has yet to be determined. The aircraft had traveled to Bermuda to retrieve the patient and was en route to Boston Logan International Airport when contact was lost. The US Federal Aviation Administration notified the Coast Guard at approximately 2 AM on Saturday (06:00 GMT) after communication with the jet was interrupted. Lake expressed condolences to the families of those on board and acknowledged the efforts of the agencies involved in the search operation. Latitude Air Ambulance specializes in medical evacuation and repatriation flights, typically staffed by two pilots and medical personnel.