The U.S. Coast Guard is conducting a search off Nantucket for a Latitude Air Ambulance jet that's believed to have crashed on its way from Bermuda for Boston early Saturday morning

The U.S. Coast Guard continues to search a debris field south of Nantucket in hopes of finding the six occupants of an air ambulance crash early Saturday morning, four of whom are Canadian employees of the private Ontario-based medical flight company.

During a Sunday morning press conference in Boston, U.S. Coast Guard officials said their priority remains finding the occupants of the Gulfstream G100 that lost contact with air traffic controllers while it was en route from L.F. Wade International Airport in Bermuda to Boston Logan International Airport.

“At this point, we are still conducting a search for the missing personnel,” Northeast district commander Rear Admiral Matt Lake stressed when asked if this was a rescue or recovery mission.

“We’ll continue to search and saturate the area until we’re at the point where we are confident that if there were any survivors remaining on the surface of the water, we would have found them.”

The aircraft’s tail number C-GRJP is linked to Latitude Air Ambulance, a Hamilton company contracted by governments, insurance companies and other organizations “to provide safe and reliable medical evacuation and repatriation services” via its 10 aircraft.

Company spokesman Clarence Togeretz told AFP the Canadians were the two pilots and two medical staff, while the other occupants were a patient and family member from Bermuda. He told The Canadian Press that this is the first time the carrier lost contact with one of its aircraft.

Togeretz said they’re “dealing with the situation with as much positivity and optimism as we can” and “praying for a safe outcome.”

Lake said they were in touch with all occupants’ next of kin, keeping them apprised of search efforts.

“I want you to know that 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.”

According to data from FlightAware, the aircraft left Bermuda at 11:41 p.m. EDT on Friday and was approaching the U.S. coast just after 1 a.m. when its altitude dropped from 24,000 to 11,000 feet (7,315 to 3,352 metres) over two minutes.

The FAA, in an email to National Post, said it issued a search and rescue alert at approximately 1:20 a.m. EDT. The company contacted the coast guard ten minutes later, per CBC.

The broadcaster also reported that a spokesperson at Nantucket Memorial Airport said the jet had declared an emergency before losing contact and that an air traffic controller in New York was also in contact with the troubled aircraft.

“Roger, you said you’re coming in blind. Is that what you said,” the pilots, who are not heard in LiveATC.net audio recordings, are asked shortly after 12:30 a.m. ET Saturday.

Coast guard air and surface crews were dispatched and “located a debris field that has been confirmed to be associated with the missing aircraft” on Saturday about 20 kilometres south of Nantucket.

“It’s very difficult at this point to identify exactly what those components are,” district search and rescue coordinator Lt.-Cmdr. Kastrio Kastrati said Sunday.

“The debris that we have recovered, we’ve safeguarded and kept for future investigative efforts.”

The aircraft’s black box has not yet been located.

Lake said that, with help from the New York National Guard, crews have searched roughly 2,840 square miles (7,355 square kilometres) over 53 hours as of Sunday morning. Water depth in the area is between 80 and 90 feet, so they are coordinating with authorities in Massachusetts to “get some craft out there that are equipped with sonar to be able to do some detection on the seabed floor.”

“This is a large and demanding search area,” he noted.

Capt. John McTamney, district chief of response, said weather conditions have been “favourable” for search operations, with winds at 15 to 20 knots (27 to 37 km/h) and three-foot seas.

Steve MacKinnon, Canada’s minister of transport, expressed his concern in a post on X, thanked first responders and said federal officials “are closely monitoring the situation and are working with the relevant authorities as search and rescue efforts continue.”

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand offered similar comments on X and said “Global Affairs Canada consular officials” are also engaged.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said her state will “do whatever” it can to support search efforts, according to NBC Boston.

“My thoughts are with the six people aboard the missing air ambulance travelling from Bermuda to Boston, and their families,” Bermuda Premier David Burt wrote on Instagram before the debris had been found.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada told National Post via email it was “still gathering information and assessing the occurrence.”

National Post has also contacted the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board. The Ontario Ministry of Transportation deferred to Canadian federal authorities.

“Our thoughts are with our colleagues at Latitude Air Ambulance at this time,” Ornge, the province of Ontario’s own medical air and ground transport service, posted on X.

All of us at Ornge are hopeful the aircraft and all passengers are located safely and quickly.

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