The Air Ambulance Went Missing; the Coast Guard Is Looking

There is a particular vulnerability that accompanies a medical flight—a journey already defined by urgency, by the fragile balance between life and the need to reach care, now compounded by the silence of lost contact. On Saturday morning, an air ambulance registered to a Hamilton, Ontario-based company went missing off the coast of Massachusetts, carrying six people: two Canadian pilots, two Canadian medical staff, a patient, and the patient's relative. The aircraft, a Gulfstream G100 jet with tail number C-GRJP, was flying from Bermuda to Boston when it disappeared from radar .

The U.S. Coast Guard launched a search operation after the Federal Aviation Administration lost contact with the jet around 1:30 a.m. Eastern Time, as it was approaching Boston Logan International Airport . Air and surface teams were deployed to search an area off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts. The search included two planes, a helicopter, a 47-foot motor lifeboat, and a patrol ship .

The aircraft is registered to Latitude Air Ambulance, a company that operates out of John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport and provides medical evacuation and repatriation services worldwide . Clarence Togeretz, the company's director of flight operations, confirmed that the crew—two pilots and two medical staff—are Canadian. The patient and their relative, who are not Canadian, had been picked up in Bermuda .

Flight tracking data showed the aircraft underwent a rapid descent shortly before communication was lost, dropping more than 9,000 feet over roughly two minutes . The final tracking signal was received in the area where the search is now concentrated. The Coast Guard has not confirmed that the aircraft crashed, and authorities have not determined what caused the loss of contact .

Togeretz told CBC News that the company lost contact with the jet around 1:30 a.m. and is "staying optimistic that everyone will be safely found" . He later told The Canadian Press that this was the first time Latitude Air Ambulance had lost contact with one of its planes, and that the company is "dealing with the situation with as much positivity and optimism as we can" .

The flight had departed Hamilton on Friday evening and arrived in Bermuda before departing for Boston early Saturday. The jet had flown within Canada over the past week before those international legs . The Transportation Safety Board of Canada said it is gathering information on the incident, and Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon said the government is "closely monitoring" the situation and working with U.S. authorities . Bermuda Premier David Burt said the government is in contact with families of those on board and is "praying that all six people will be found safe" .

Ontario's air ambulance service, Ornge, issued a statement expressing concern and hope. "Our thoughts are with the crew, passengers, their families, and everyone at Latitude Air Ambulance during this difficult time," spokesperson Joshua McNamara said. "We remain hopeful that the aircraft and all those on board are located safely and quickly" .

The search continues off the Massachusetts coast. For the families of the six people on board—the pilots who fly toward emergencies, the medical staff who care for patients in the air, and the patient and relative who were simply trying to get home—the hours of waiting have no end that anyone can predict. The Coast Guard will keep looking. The rest of us can only watch the water and wait.

AI Image Disclaimer: The images accompanying this article were generated by artificial intelligence and are for illustrative purposes only.

Sources: CBC News, The Canadian Press, CityNews Calgary, Mathrubhumi English, Global News