A small aircraft that vanished over the Caribbean Sea while en route from St. Vincent and the Grenadines to Tobago has been found, with authorities confirming no loss of life. According to Antigua.news, the Dominican Republic-registered Beechcraft Baron disappeared on Friday, June 12, carrying two people on board.
The aircraft departed Argyle International Airport at approximately 11:52 a.m. and was scheduled to arrive at ANR Robinson International Airport in Tobago just over an hour later. Contact was lost shortly after the plane exited St. Vincent and the Grenadines' airspace, triggering an immediate search involving local, regional, and international agencies.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security St Clair Leacock confirmed the aircraft's discovery while speaking on a radio programme on Monday. He stated that there had been no fatalities, though he declined to disclose the location where the aircraft was found. Leacock noted that authorities had cooperated closely with several regional security agencies throughout the search operation.
Since the disappearance, officials in St. Vincent and the Grenadines maintained constant communication with the Barbados-based Regional Security System (RSS) and the Trinidad-based Caribbean Community Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS), among other partners.
Leacock confirmed that authorities have gathered information relating to the aircraft and those associated with it, but declined to share further details while investigations remain active. "I cannot share all of the information that we have on it," he said, adding that releasing certain operational details could compromise ongoing intelligence and security efforts.
The minister indicated that investigators are focused not only on the aircraft itself but also on examining the circumstances surrounding those who were travelling on board.
Prior to the loss of contact, the aircraft had been tracked by flight monitoring service Flightradar24. Data showed it flying under visual flight rules at an altitude of approximately 4,025 feet and a speed of 142 knots. Its tracking signal disappeared abruptly over the Southern Caribbean Sea, prompting speculation that the aircraft may have been near Grenadian or Venezuelan territorial waters at the time.
Authorities have indicated that additional information will be released as the investigation progresses.
