lear if weather may have played a factor.

The US Coast Guard said it was assisting the Royal Bahamas Defence Force in the search, some 15 miles off Andros Island, and had deployed an HC-144 Ocean Sentry surveillance plane to scour the waters.

An initial search attempt was delayed by bad weather but was expected to resume once conditions improved, police said, citing the Bahamas Air Sea Rescue Association.

 Efforts to locate the aircraft and its occupants remain a priority,  police said.

The family is asking anyone who may have been nearby to  immediately report anything they witnessed, including an aircraft in distress, unusual activity on the water or shoreline, or any radio communications. 

 Whether it's by plane, by boat, any signs that you've noticed, to help us find them and bring them back alive,  Larrieu said.

The-CNN-Wire™     2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.