Miami private schools mourn former students killed in plane crash off Bahamas

MIAMI — Members of two private schools in Miami are mourning a brother and sister who were among four relatives killed in a plane crash off the Bahamas on Monday.

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Relatives confirmed that 80-year-old Mario Lamar Sr., was piloting the plane. His wife, Lili, 79, and their grandchildren; Sofia Sosa, 28, a neonatal physician assistant in Miami; and Christian Sosa, 22, a recent graduate of Loyola Marymount University, were also on board.

Sofia Sosa graduated fromCarrollton School of the Sacred Heartin 2016 and her brother, Christian Sosa, 22, graduated from Ransom Everglades High School in 2022.

Both private schools released statements on their social media accounts.

One of the victims’ relatives, Silvia Larrieu, said other family members on boats recovered the victims’ bodies on Tuesday.

“It is with profound sadness that we confirm all four of our family members have been found deceased,” the family said in a statement. “The search and recovery mission was conducted alongside family members and civilians who answered our call for help.

“Our relatives ultimately located our loved ones and had to bring them aboard their own vessels.”

The four victims had traveled to the Bahamas for the holiday weekend, a trip Larrieu said her uncle had made countless times during his more than 40 years as a pilot, and were heading home to Miami.

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“He always does this. The weather seemed fine,” Larrieu said. “My uncle maintained the plane in pristine condition. He was always on top of it. Anytime he was here in Miami, he would always be at the hangar working on his plane and ensuring it was up-to-date.”

According to Larrieu, the four took off from Great Harbour Cay at approximately 10:12 a.m. Monday.

About an hour later, the plane lost contact near Andros Island, she said.

Bahamas police identified the plane as a PA-34 Piper five-seater aircraft, with tail number N212ML. Police confirmed it departed Great Harbour Cay, a city in the Berry Islands of the Bahamas, and was headed to Opa-locka.

Air traffic control lost contact with the aircraft when it was about 13 miles west of Andros Island, Bahamas police said.

“So our initial investigation that came into our search-and-rescue operations team is that they left that area of the Barrier Islands and they wanted to divert from our inclement weather, and due to that factor, they ended up on that side of Andros as opposed to going a different direction, heading to Florida,” Lt. Darius Adams, of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, said.

Relatives said they are now in contact with the U.S. Coast Guard to bring the victims’ bodies back to South Florida.

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