U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Bernard C. Webber file photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Patrick Kelley.
MIAMI – The Coast Guard continues to search for survivors Wednesday 15 miles east of Eleuthera, Bahamas, from an airplane that was reported missing Monday.
Missing are Jennifer Blumin, 40, from New York City, Nathan Ulrich, 52, from Lee, New Hampshire, and Blumin’s 3-year-old and 4-year-old sons.
At approximately 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, a Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew located a fuel sheen and a debris field 15 miles east of Eleuthera, Bahamas. The helicopter crew was able to lower a rescue swimmer and retrieve some of the debris to transfer ashore for identification. Some airplane components recovered from the debris were confirmed to be from an MU-2B airplane.
Watch standers with the Coast Guard Seventh District Command Center received a report from Miami Air Traffic Control at 2:10 p.m. Monday of lost radar and radio contact from of a MU-2B airplane approximately 37 miles east of Eleuthera. Communication was reported to be lost at 24,000 feet with a speed of 300 knots.
The airplane departed Borinquen, Puerto Rico, at approximately 11 a.m. Monday en route to Titusville, Florida.
Rescue crews have searched for over 30 hours covering more than 8,200 square miles.
Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater C-130 Hercules airplane crews; Coast Guard Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane crews; a Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina, C-130 Hercules airplane crew; and Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crews assisted in the search. The Coast Guard Cutter Bernard C. Webber crew and an Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane crew are on scene searching for survivors.
Customs and Border Patrol, the Royal Bahamas Defense Force and the Air Force have also assisted in the search.
A National Transportation Safety Board accident investigator has been assigned to this case.
