Search ongoing for six people after debris found from missing Ontario air ambulance
The U.S. Coast Guard says it continues to search for survivors after finding a debris field off the coast of Nantucket that's been confirmed as being from a missing Canadian air ambulance jet.
Rear Admiral Matt Lake told a news conference in Boston on Sunday that crews from the coast guard, the New York National Guard and Massachusetts authorities have searched about 7,350 square kilometres, over a "large and demanding search area," for the four missing Canadians and two Bermuda nationals.
"My thoughts and those of every coast guard crew member are with the people on that aircraft, their families, their friends and their loved ones during this incredibly difficult time," he said.
Lake said the coast guard search began around 2 a.m. on Saturday after they were notified the Federal Aviation Administration had lost contact with the plane as it was flying from Bermuda to Boston.
The debris field was found about 32 kilometres off the island of Nantucket, in waters approximately 24 to 27 metres deep, coast guard officials said.
The medical evacuation jet, belonging to Hamilton, Ont.-based Latitude Air Ambulance, was carrying a patient, their family member and four Canadian crew members when it went dark early Saturday.
Lt.-Cmdr. Kastriot Kastrati said he couldn't provide details about the debris that was recovered, and Lake noted the coast guard is working with Massachusetts authorities to get sonar-equipped craft to search the sea floor around the debris field.
Lake said the search efforts are being aided by fixed-wing aircraft, boats and a helicopter, and that next of kin for the six missing people are being updated as the search continues.
He said a black box, a recording device found in airplanes used to investigate accidents, has yet to be recovered.
Capt. John McTamney said search efforts will continue until crews are "confident that if there were any survivors remaining on the surface of the water, we would have found them."
According to air traffic control audio posted by LiveATC.net, the pilot reported electrical problems and declared an emergency as the jet approached the coast.
“Roger, you said you’re coming in blind. Is that what you said?” a controller can be heard asking the pilot.
The plane also descended sharply from its cruising altitude of around 24,000 feet to around 10,000 feet, according to preliminary data from flight tracking site FlightRadar24.
Mary Schiavo, who is a former Inspector General of the U.S. Transportation Department, told the Associated Press she thinks the plane may have lost its navigational instruments just as a storm moved across its path on radar.
“Something bad happened with this big drop, and they flew into this big storm. It’s a terrible place to have a loss of your instruments and be flying blind,” said Schiavo, who is an aviation attorney. “It’s very easy to get disoriented and not know if you’re turning, climbing, descending, etc.”
Lake said at Sunday's news conference that he didn't want to speculate if electrical problems or weather played a factor in the incident.
"That's up to the investigative efforts later," he said.
Latitude Air Ambulance offers emergency medical transportation by plane worldwide, according to its website, and operations manager Clarence Togeretz told The Canadian Press on Saturday that this is the first time the company has lost contact with one of its planes.
Foreign Affairs minister Anita Anand said in a social media post that she's "deeply concerned" by the disappearance of the air ambulance carrying Canadian crew members, and that Global Affairs consular officials are in contact with the relevant authorities.
"My thoughts are with everyone on board and their loved ones. I thank the U.S. Coast Guard and all those involved in the search and rescue efforts for their tireless work," she wrote.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 4, 2026.
-- with files from The Associated Press
By Kathryn Mannie | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.