Four members of the same family — a husband and wife and their two grandchildren — have been found dead after their small plane crashed off the coast of the Bahamas while they were flying to Florida.

The victims have been identified by family members as Mario Lamar Sr., 80, his wife, Lili Lamar, 79, and their grandchildren, Sofi Sosa, 28, and Christian Sosa, 22.

The family was traveling from the Bahamas to Florida on Monday, Sept. 7, when their Piper PA-34 aircraft apparently went down near North Andros. The Royal Bahamas Police Force said authorities received reports around 2:20 p.m. that an aircraft may have crashed in the waters near Red Bays.

“Mario Lamar, an experienced pilot with more than 40 years of flying experience, was piloting the aircraft with his wife, Lili, and grandchildren, Christian and Sofi, on board,” the family said in a statement.

The plane departed Great Harbour Cay around 10:12 a.m. and was headed for Miami Executive Airport. Its last recorded contact came at approximately 11:04 a.m. near the western side of Andros Island, according to the family.

A search was launched, but inclement weather complicated the effort and forced authorities to temporarily postpone operations.

Then, on Tuesday morning, the search took a heartbreaking turn. A relative who had joined the effort by boat discovered one of the bodies.

“What is especially devastating is that a civilian, one of our own family members, was the person who located our loved one and had to bring their deceased relative onto their own boat,” the family said.

With three relatives still missing at the time, the family made an urgent public plea for help, asking fishermen, boaters and other civilians who could safely assist to join the search.

“Every minute matters,” the family said. “This is a family desperately trying to find their loved ones, and we should not have to do this alone.”

The remaining three bodies were recovered soon afterward, WTVJ reported.

Before the search ended, relative Silvi Larrieu told WPLG that Mario was an experienced pilot who had made the trip many times and took meticulous care of his aircraft.

“He always does this. The weather seemed fine,” Larrieu said. “My uncle maintained the plane in pristine condition. He was always on top of it.”

Authorities have not publicly announced what caused the aircraft to go down.

The recovery brings a devastating end to a search that family members had joined themselves, determined to bring their loved ones home. Now, they are mourning four members of their family across three generations.

Lord, draw near to this grieving family as they mourn such a tremendous loss. Give them comfort, strength and peace in the difficult days ahead, and surround them with people who will help carry them through their sorrow. Amen.