Four family members found dead after plane vanishes off Bahamas

Four family members aboard a small plane that vanished off the Bahamas were found dead Tuesday after relatives launched their own search effort, according to a family member.

Silvia Larrieu said relatives traveling on boats recovered the bodies.

The plane vanished Monday after taking off from Great Harbour Cay, a city in the Berry Islands, bound for Miami Executive Airport in Miami-Dade County, according to Bahamas police.

Larrieu said her 80-year-old uncle, Mario Lamar, had more than 40 years of experience as a pilot and routinely flew to his second home in Great Harbour Cay.

Also aboard were his wife, Lili, 79, and their grandchildren, Sofi Sosa, 28, and Christian Sosa, 22, who were heading home to Miami after a long weekend trip.

Sofi Sosa texted her parents in a family group chat that they were taking off, and a flight plan filed by her uncle detailed the expected landing time, according to Larrieu.

The family contacted authorities after realizing text messages were not going through. Larrieu noted that her uncle kept the aircraft in pristine condition and was very cautious.

"This is awful," she told The Associated Press in a brief phone interview.

A day earlier, Larrieu appealed to anyone navigating nearby waters or airspace to help search for her missing relatives.

"Whether it’s by plane, by boat, any signs that you’ve noticed, to help us find them and bring them back alive," said Larrieu.

Bahamas police identified the vessel as a PA-34 Piper five-seater plane with tail number N212ML. Air traffic controllers lost contact with the aircraft roughly 13 miles west of Andros Island, which lies about 150 miles (240 km) southeast of Miami.

U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Nicolina Converso said a Coast Guard plane joined the search again on Tuesday. Authorities in the Bahamas had requested agency assistance around 2 p.m. Monday following a report of a downed airplane.