The U.S. Coast Guard has released the names of the four Canadian crew members who were aboard a medical air transport jet out of Hamilton that vanished in the Atlantic Ocean early Saturday morning. The Gulfstream G100 jet, operated by Latitude Air Ambulance, was en route to Boston from Bermuda when it disappeared. The Canadian crew members have been identified as Philip Gregory Childerhose, Thomas Henry Farquhar, Sarah Jane Paton, and Jolene Beth Weir. The flight also carried two Bermudian passengers: 66-year-old Marilyn Lavonne Bean and her 41-year-old son, Sergio Wayne Lottimore. Rear Adm. Matthew Lake, commander of the Coast Guard Northeast District, offered condolences to the families and friends impacted by the tragedy while expressing gratitude to the responding crews and partner agencies. Latitude president Peter Byl paid tribute to the lost team members, describing captain Philip Childerhose as passionate and kind, first officer Thomas Farquhar as a gentle giant, flight nurse Sarah Paton as a joyful and dedicated presence, and respiratory therapist Jolene Weir as a compassionate professional who deeply loved her family. Byl stated that the company must face the heartbreaking reality that all six individuals aboard the aircraft, known as Heartbeat 104, are presumed dead following the conclusion of the search and rescue phase. The U.S. Coast Guard and National Guard had scoured an area of 11,500 square kilometres off Nantucket using fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and sea vessels before calling off the operation on Sunday night. Authorities reported that a considerable amount of debris was found in the water, though the black box had not yet been recovered from the seabed, which is roughly 80 to 90 feet deep in that area. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSBC) announced it will lead the investigation into the crash because the aircraft was registered in Canada, with early indications pointing toward a potential electrical system malfunction. Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath and Bermuda Premier David Burt both shared heartfelt condolences, expressing profound sorrow over the tragic loss of life and thanking the devoted crew for their service.
Source: cbc.ca
