U.S. Coast Guard shares names of all six aboard missing Canadian air ambulance

“During this incredibly difficult time, our heartfelt condolences go out to the families and friends impacted by this tragic incident,” said Rear Adm. Matthew Lake from the U.S. Coast Guard in Monday’s release.

“We are grateful to the crews and partner agencies who quickly responded to this incident, and we will continue to support our Canadian partners as they conduct their investigation.”

Coast guard officials have said the plane was en route to Boston with a patient and a family member from Bermuda when it lost contact with air-traffic control early Saturday.

The pilot reported electrical problems and declared an emergency as the jet approached the coast, according to air traffic control audio posted by LiveATC.net.

The plane also descended sharply from its cruising altitude of around 24,000 feet to about 10,000 feet, according to preliminary data from flight tracking site FlightRadar24.

The coast guard later said debris from the plane was recovered 32 kilometres off Nantucket, though officials wouldn’t disclose specifics. Its search ended Sunday after scouring roughly 7,000 kilometres of ocean.

Officials said Monday a civilian vessel also found debris associated with the plane. They said it’s not uncommon, and that if mariners find such debris they should contact the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.

Latitude Air Ambulance, the medical transport company based in Hamilton, Ont., that owned the jet known as Heartbeat 104, shared more about the crew members late Monday.

The company said captain Philip Childerhose was a man of great integrity who touched the hearts of everyone he talked to, and first officer Thomas Farquhar was a “gentle giant who reflected Jesus’ love.”

Flight nurse Sarah Paton was bright and joyful, and devoted herself to helping others, the company said. Respiratory therapist Jolene Weir loved to travel the world and had an “incredible ability” to care for others.

Peter Byl, company president, said each of the four crew brought something special to the company.

“Our colleagues dedicated themselves to helping people at some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives,” Byl said in a statement. “That was the mission they were carrying out aboard Heartbeat 104.

“We want their families to know that we will remember not simply how we lost them, but how they lived, how they served, and what they meant to the people around them.”

The company, which offers emergency medical transportation by plane worldwide, said it would support the families of the crew members and its employees as they grieve.

It also asked for privacy for their families, and added it would co-operate with Canadian and American flight investigators and not speculate about what happened.

Investigators have said a black box, a recording device found in airplanes that is used to investigate accidents, has not yet been recovered.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 5, 2026.

Aaron Sousa, The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

U.S. Coast Guard shares names of all six aboard missing Canadian air ambulance

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