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

What began as a desperate search for a missing family in the Bahamas has ended in heartbreaking tragedy.

Four members of a South Florida family — an experienced pilot, his wife and their two grandchildren — have been found dead after their small plane disappeared while flying from the Bahamas back to Florida.

The victims were identified by their family as Mario Lamar Sr., 80; his wife, Lili Lamar, 79; and their grandchildren, Sofi Sosa, 28, and Christian Sosa, 22.

THE FLIGHT THAT NEVER REACHED FLORIDA

Mario was piloting the family’s Piper PA-34 aircraft, which had departed Great Harbour Cay in the Bahamas on September 7.

The family had been spending the Labor Day weekend at their vacation home before beginning their journey back to South Florida.

Their destination was Miami Executive Airport.

But the aircraft never arrived.

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

Authorities received reports that the aircraft may have gone down near Red Bays in North Andros, triggering a search involving Bahamian authorities and the U.S. Coast Guard.

A SUDDEN DROP BEFORE THE PLANE DISAPPEARED

Flight-tracking data reported by several outlets showed a dramatic change in the aircraft’s altitude before contact was lost.

The plane reportedly descended from roughly 10,000 feet to about 3,700 feet in around three minutes.

The reason for the sudden descent remains unknown.

Bad weather also complicated the initial search, delaying efforts to locate the aircraft and its occupants.

THE FAMILY JOINED THE SEARCH

As hours passed without answers, relatives made public appeals for help.

Mario’s niece, Silvia Larrieu, urged anyone in the area with boats or aircraft to assist in locating the missing family.

The family had hoped they might still be found alive.

Instead, relatives eventually made the devastating discovery themselves.

According to the family, relatives searching by boat located the bodies on Tuesday. They brought their loved ones aboard their own vessels and worked with the U.S. Coast Guard during the recovery.

A PILOT WITH MORE THAN 40 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

Mario was described by his family as an experienced pilot with more than four decades of flying experience.

He and Lili had regularly traveled to Great Harbour Cay, where they maintained a second home.

A relative said Mario was extremely careful and kept his aircraft in excellent condition.

The family has not publicly identified what caused the crash, and investigators have yet to determine why the aircraft suddenly descended before disappearing.

TWO GRANDCHILDREN WHO HAD THEIR WHOLE LIVES AHEAD OF THEM

Sofi Sosa, 28, had recently graduated from Wake Forest University.

Her younger brother, Christian Sosa, 22, had graduated from Loyola Marymount University and had worked as a freelance photographer, including work connected to the Los Angeles Rams.

They were returning home with their grandparents after what had been intended to be a family holiday.

Instead, the trip ended with four lives lost.

The family later released a statement thanking everyone who participated in the search and asking for privacy as they mourn.

For the family, the mystery of the missing aircraft has now become something far more painful:

Four loved ones left the Bahamas together — and never made it home.