MYSTERY IN THE AIR: FAMILY OF FOUR VANISHES WITH THEIR PLANE — THEN RELATIVES MAKE A HEARTBREAKING DISCOVERY

A routine flight home from the Bahamas turned into a desperate search for an entire family — and ended with the discovery of all four members dead.

Mario Lamar Sr., 80, his wife, Lili Lamar, 79, and their grandchildren, Sofi Sosa, 28, and Christian Sosa, 22, were aboard a small Piper PA-34 when the aircraft disappeared near the Bahamas on Monday.

By Tuesday, relatives confirmed that all four had been found dead.

THE PLANE VANISHED ON THE WAY HOME

The family had spent the Labor Day weekend at their second home on Great Harbour Cay in the Bahamas.

Mario, an experienced pilot with more than 40 years of flying experience, was piloting the aircraft as the family headed back toward South Florida.

The plane took off from Great Harbour Cay at approximately 10:10 a.m. Monday, bound for Miami Executive Airport.

But somewhere near Andros Island, something went terribly wrong.

Air traffic control lost contact with the aircraft approximately 13 miles west of Andros Island.

Authorities were alerted after the plane failed to arrive as expected, triggering a search operation involving Bahamian authorities and the U.S. Coast Guard.

BAD WEATHER COMPLICATED THE SEARCH

The search was initially slowed by poor weather conditions in the area.

The Royal Bahamas Defense Force requested assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard, which deployed an HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft as part of the effort.

But as official crews battled difficult conditions, the family began organizing its own search.

Relatives and other civilians took boats into the area where the aircraft was believed to have gone down.

Then came the devastating discovery.

RELATIVES FOUND THEIR LOVED ONES

Family members ultimately located the bodies of the four people aboard the aircraft.

In an especially heartbreaking turn, relatives themselves had to recover their loved ones and bring them aboard their own boats.

The family later expressed gratitude to everyone who had helped search and asked for privacy as they mourned the loss.

The first reports had raised hopes that the missing family might still be found alive.

Instead, the search ended with confirmation that none of the four had survived.

WHO WERE THE FOUR VICTIMS?

Mario Lamar was described by his family as a highly experienced pilot who had flown for more than four decades.

His wife, Lili, had frequently traveled with him to Great Harbour Cay, where the couple maintained a second home.

Their grandchildren were also accomplished young adults.

Sofi Sosa, 28, had graduated from Wake Forest University and was working as a neonatal physician assistant in South Florida, according to NBC 6.

Her younger brother, Christian Sosa, 22, was a photographer who had graduated from Loyola Marymount University. He had recently worked as a freelance photographer for the Los Angeles Rams.

A FLIGHT THE FAMILY HAD MADE BEFORE

According to relatives, the Bahamas were deeply familiar territory for Mario and Lili.

They had reportedly spent many years traveling to Great Harbour Cay, with family describing the island as essentially a second home.

For Mario, flying there was not an unusual journey.

That is one reason the sudden disappearance of the aircraft was so alarming to relatives.

The family said the plane was well maintained, and Mario was an experienced pilot who knew the route well.

THE CAUSE REMAINS UNKNOWN

Authorities have not yet determined what caused the aircraft to go down.

The Bahamas’ Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority is investigating the crash.

At this stage, there has been no official conclusion about whether the accident was caused by a mechanical problem, weather, pilot-related factors or another circumstance.

Investigators will need to examine the aircraft, available flight information and other evidence before determining what happened during the final moments of the flight.

For the Lamar and Sosa families, however, the questions surrounding the crash now come second to an unbearable reality.

Four members of the same family left the Bahamas together.

They never made it home.

And after hours of frantic searching, their loved ones were the ones who ultimately found them.

The family is now asking for privacy as they mourn Mario, Lili, Sofi and Christian — four lives lost on a flight that was supposed to be nothing more than a trip home.