A family trip from the Bahamas to Florida ended in tragedy after a small private aircraft carrying four relatives from Miami crashed into the sea near Andros Island, killing everyone on board.

According to a report by USA TODAY News, the victims were grandparents Mario Lamar Sr., 80, and Lili Lamar, 79, and their grandchildren, Sofi Sosa, 28, and Christian Sosa, 22. The family had been travelling together when their five-seat Piper PA-34 aircraft went down in waters off the Bahamas.

The aircraft departed Great Harbour Cay and was headed for Miami Executive Airport when air traffic controllers lost communication with the pilot. Contact was reportedly lost about 13 miles west of Andros Island as the aircraft encountered unfavourable weather conditions.

The tragedy was compounded by the difficulties faced by rescuers attempting to reach the crash area. With official search efforts initially delayed by dangerous weather, relatives of the victims took the extraordinary step of deploying their own boats in an effort to locate the missing aircraft and recover their loved ones.

The United States Coast Guard and the Royal Bahamian Defense Force subsequently joined the response after receiving reports that the aircraft had gone down approximately 15 miles off Andros Island. Their involvement added an official search-and-recovery effort to the family’s desperate attempts to find the victims.

Mario Lamar Sr., who was piloting the aircraft, was an experienced aviator with more than four decades of flying experience. The circumstances surrounding the crash remain under investigation as authorities work to establish what caused the aircraft to go down.

The family has appealed for privacy as it mourns the loss of four relatives in the devastating accident. Relatives also expressed appreciation for the prayers, support and assistance extended to them during the search and recovery efforts.