Bermuda names mother and son lost in air ambulance crash off Nantucket

HAMILTON, Bermuda. Bermudian officials have identified the two Bermudians believed to have died when an air ambulance crashed off Nantucket, Massachusetts, at the weekend.

They were named as Marilyn Lavonne Bean, 66, and her son, Sergio Wayne Lottimore, 41. Officials did not say which district they were from.

The pair, travelling with a Canadian crew, left the island at about 12.41am on October 3 on a medical mission to the US. Air traffic controllers lost contact with the Gulfstream G100 jet, registration C-GRJP, as it neared its destination.

The crew had reported a loss of avionics and suggested to controllers that they were flying blind. Bad weather was a feature of flying at the time.

Search called off

The victims were named hours before the US Coast Guard called off its search of a wide area, presuming that all aboard had died.

Premier David Burt said the nation should "open our hearts to the families in the hope that our expressions of love, support and compassion will bring some comfort as they attempt to deal with this terrible loss."

Education Minister Kim Wilson said: "This is an incredibly difficult time for all those affected, and I know many people across Bermuda are holding them in their thoughts and prayers."

She also paid tribute to the crew. "We also recognise the dedicated crew who came to Bermuda to provide a service that has supported many families during some of life's most difficult moments. For that, we are deeply grateful," she said.

Bermuda, a mid-Atlantic island of 65,000 people south-east of the Carolinas, is an associate member of CARICOM and has announced plans to apply for full membership.