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A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter flys over a stadium before an NCAA college football game , in South Bend, Ind., Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Michael Caterina

Ontario air ambulance carrying six people missing off Nantucket: U.S. Coast Guard

Oct 3, 2026 | 9:18 AM

An Ontario air ambulance carrying six people, four of them Canadians,
has gone missing off the coast of the United States.

The U.S. Coast Guard said it launched a search mission after the Federal Aviation Administration lost contact with the plane early Saturday as it was travelling from Bermuda to Boston.

Air and ground crews are searching off the coast of Nantucket, an island about 150 kilometres southeast of Boston, the coast guard wrote in a social media post.

The aircraft, a Gulfstream G100 jet, belongs to Latitude Air Ambulance, a Hamilton-based medical evacuation company.

Clarence Togeretz, operations manager for Latitude Air Ambulance, told The Canadian Press the missing aircraft was transporting a patient and their family member, with two pilots and two medical staff on board.

The four crew are Canadian, he said, while the two passengers are Bermuda nationals.

Togeretz said Latitude had been tracking the flight and lost contact with it around 1:30 a.m. Saturday as it was approaching Boston.

When the plane failed to reach the tarmac, the company reached out to the U.S. Coast Guard, Togeretz said.

Togeretz said the company is “dealing with the situation with as much positivity and optimism as we can.”

“We’re praying for a safe outcome,” he said.

The operations manager said this is the first time Latitude Air Ambulance has lost contact with one of its planes.

The company offers emergency medical transportation by plane worldwide, according to its website.

Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon wrote on social media that the government is closely monitoring the situation and working with authorities as the search continues.

“My thoughts are with everyone on board, as well as their families, loved ones and colleagues during this incredibly difficult time,” he wrote.

Bermuda Premier David Burt wrote in a statement that the government is in contact with the families of those on board and U.S. searchers.

Ontario’s air ambulance service provider Ornge reacted to the news of the missing plane Saturday, writing in a social media post that it hopes “the aircraft and all passengers are located safely and quickly.”

Togeretz said Latitude Air Ambulance is in contact with Transport Canada. The Canadian Press reached out to the federal agency for comment but did not immediately hear back.

The U.S. Coast Guard said two aircraft, two boats and one helicopter team are assisting in the search.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 3, 2026.

Kathryn Mannie, The Canadian Press