Date: October 5, 2026
Reporter: Emilly Jordan
Six people aboard a Hamilton-based air ambulance are presumed dead after the U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search for the aircraft, which disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean while flying from Bermuda to Boston.
Latitude Air Ambulance said Monday that the Coast Guard had ended active search-and-rescue operations and moved into a recovery effort following the disappearance of its Heartbeat 104 Medevac flight. The company said the four members of its crew, the patient being transported and the patient's family escort are now presumed to have died.
The Canadian-registered Gulfstream G100 disappeared early Saturday morning while travelling from L.F. Wade International Airport in Bermuda to Boston Logan International Airport. The aircraft was carrying two Canadian pilots, two Canadian medical staff, a patient and a family member, according to Latitude Air Ambulance.
The Federal Aviation Administration notified the U.S. Coast Guard after losing contact with the aircraft. Search crews subsequently found a debris field about 32 kilometres off Nantucket, Massachusetts, in waters approximately 24 to 27 metres deep.
The Coast Guard said its crews, supported by the New York National Guard and Massachusetts authorities, searched thousands of square kilometres of ocean using fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, boats and cutters. The operation continued for approximately 66 hours and covered more than 7,000 kilometres of search area before authorities decided to suspend the active search.
The circumstances surrounding the aircraft's disappearance remain under investigation. Air traffic control recordings indicate that the pilot reported electrical problems and declared an emergency as the aircraft approached the U.S. coast. A controller subsequently asked the pilot to confirm that the aircraft was “coming in blind,” suggesting the crew may have been experiencing serious navigational or instrument problems.
Preliminary flight-tracking information showed the aircraft descending sharply from an altitude of approximately 24,000 feet to around 10,000 feet before communications were lost. Aviation experts have said that a loss of navigational instruments combined with severe weather could create a serious risk of spatial disorientation, but authorities have not determined that this was the cause of the incident.
The discovery of the debris field prompted search crews to concentrate their efforts in the area. Officials initially continued treating the operation as a search for survivors, while authorities worked to determine the location of the aircraft and the six people aboard.
The loss is particularly significant for Latitude Air Ambulance, which is based in Hamilton, Ontario, and provides medical evacuation and repatriation services. The company said the four crew members were valued members of its team who were carrying out their mission of providing medical care when the aircraft disappeared.
“Our thoughts are first and foremost with their families, loved ones, friends, and colleagues,” Latitude Air Ambulance said in a statement following the Coast Guard's decision to end the active search.
The incident has also drawn attention in Bermuda because the flight began there as a medical evacuation mission. The Government of Bermuda said it remained in contact with authorities and was monitoring developments, adding that the thoughts of the Bermudian community were with those aboard and their families.
The U.S. Coast Guard's Northeast District commander, Rear Admiral Matthew Lake, said suspending a search was not an easy decision and expressed condolences to the families and loved ones affected by the tragedy. He also thanked the agencies that participated in the extensive search effort.
The aircraft's disappearance has prompted involvement from Canadian authorities as well. Transport Canada said it was monitoring the situation and working with authorities involved in the search-and-rescue operation. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board has also been gathering information about the incident.
With the active search now suspended, attention will turn to recovery efforts and determining what happened during the aircraft's final minutes. Investigators will examine the recovered debris, available flight data, air traffic communications, weather conditions and any other evidence that can help establish the sequence of events.
The cause of the incident has not been officially determined, and investigators have not concluded that electrical failure, weather, loss of instruments or any other factor caused the aircraft to disappear.
For the families of the four Canadian crew members, the patient and the patient's family escort, the Coast Guard's decision marks a devastating transition from a search for survivors to a recovery operation. Latitude Air Ambulance said it would continue to support those affected as authorities proceed with the next phase of the investigation.