Search suspended for 6 aboard medical jet that crashed off Nantucket

The search for six people aboard a medical evacuation jet that crashed off Nantucket, Massachusetts, was suspended Sunday, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

The search was suspended as of sunset, it said in a statement, after 66 hours of combing the seas with the help of partner agencies.

“Suspending a search is not an easy decision,” said Rear Adm. Matthew Lake, commander of the Coast Guard’s Northeast District. “We express our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones affected by the tragedy.”

Authorities declined to speculate on the cause of the crash that appeared to have happened early Saturday off the coast of Nantucket.

The jet went missing about 2 a.m., the Coast Guard said, adding that searchers scoured 4,445 miles. The Coast Guard, Massachusetts authorities and the New York National Guard’s air rescue wing were involved in the search, Lake said at a news conference earlier Sunday.

“This is a large and demanding search area. Our crews are employing fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, boats and cutters to search the area,” Lake said. He added that authorities hope to use sonar to search the seabed.

He declined to say whether the mission had shifted from rescue to recovery, which would…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business