US Coast Guard searches for missing air ambulance off coast of Massachusetts

An air ambulance jet operated by Latitude Air Ambulance, a Gulfstream G-100 registered to Canada, was en route from Bermuda to Boston early Saturday morning with six people onboard. The aircraft lost contact with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) at approximately 1:20am local time, prompting the FAA to issue a search-and-rescue alert.

The six individuals on board comprised four crew members and two passengers, according to Skyport, the operator of Bermuda’s LF Wade international airport. Clarence Togeretz, the director of flight operations at Latitude Air Ambulance, expressed concern but remained hopeful that the situation was not dire. The aircraft did not arrive at its destination as scheduled, further heightening the sense of urgency.

The US Coast Guard, in coordination with the Rescue Coordination Center, is leading the search efforts in waters off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts. As of the morning of the search, the search area had been established there. No Americans are believed to have been on board, though the identities of the crew and passengers have not been disclosed. Officials suspect the plane plummeted roughly 7,500 feet before crashing into the ocean.