Update: Coast Guard continues searching for survivors after locating debris field 15 miles east of Eleuthera, Bahamas, during search for missing airplane

News Release

May 16, 2017 U.S. Coast Guard 7th District Southeast Contact: 7th District Public Affairs Office: (305) 415-6683 After Hours: (786) 367-7649

Update: Coast Guard continues searching for survivors after locating debris field 15 miles east of Eleuthera, Bahamas, during search for missing airplane

MIAMI – The Coast Guard continues to search for survivors Tuesday after locating a debris field 15 miles east of Eleuthera, Bahamas, during a search for 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 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.

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.

A Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater C-130 Hercules airplane crew, an Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane crew, an 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 was diverted to assist and an Air Force C-130 airplane crew is on scene searching with an Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew .

Customs and Border Patrol and the Royal Bahamas Defense Force are also assisting in the search.

It was previously reported that Ulrich was from New York and Blumin's sons were 4 and 10 years old. Ulrich is from Lee, New Hampshire, and Blumin's sons are 3 and 4 years old.

For breaking news, follow us on Twitter @USCGSoutheast

-USCG-