A family of four is missing after their plane went down near the Bahamas. Coast Guard officials say they received a request from the Royal Bahamian Defense Force around 2 p.m. following reports of a downed plane with four people onboard. That plane was scheduled to land at Miami Executive Airp ort in Southwest Miami-Dade after taking off from Great Harbour Cay. Authorities believe the plane went down about 15 miles west from Andros Island. Silvi Larrieu said her uncle was the pilot on that aircraft. “On the flight this morning was my uncle Mario Lamar, his wife Lily Lamar and two of his grandchildren, Christian Sosa and Sophie Sosa,” said Larrieu. Mario, who is 80-years-old, is an experienced pilot, according to his relatives. A flight tracking map shows the PA-34 Piper five-seater’s route. During their flight, the plane, which bears the tail number N212ML, appears to have spun around a few times off the Bahamian coast before disappearing from the radar. At the same time, there was a passing storm in the area. It’s unclear if weather played a factor in the plane going down. The occupants’ family is now pleading with any members of the public capable of assisting to lend a hand to the several agencies searching the water to track down the plane. “Whether it’s by plane, by boat, any signs that you’ve noticed, to help us find them and bring them back alive,” said Larrieu. The Coast Guard has since launched its ocean sentry plane to assist Bahamian search efforts. As of Monday evening, crews have begun searching for where the plane went down. There’s been no word on the status for the four occupants on that plane. ...read more read less