Family Holds Out Hope Missing Pilot Is Still Alive 4 Days After His Plane Disappeared Off the Bahamas
Chris Moore, 59, took off from Sebastian, Fla., on Aug. 4, but his plane went off the radar two hours later en route to Marsh Harbour
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Chris Moore.Family and friends of a Louisville, Ky., pilot are holding out hope that pilot Chris Moore is still alive, four days after his single-engine plane went missing off the coast of the Bahamas.
The 59-year-old took off from Sebastian, Fla., en route to Marsh Harbour at approximately 9 a.m. local time on Sunday, Aug. 4, and about two hours later, his plane went off radar near the coast of Grand Bahama, according to CBS affiliate WLKY-TV and NBC affiliate WPTV.
Officials received a report of an overdue aircraft shortly after, and search and rescue teams from the U.S. Coast Guard and the Royal Bahamas Defense Force began looking for Moore’s Bristell plane, Moore’s wife, Stacye Love, told Fox affiliate WDRB-TV.
According to Love, her husband’s plane disappeared before landing, and at least three other pilots in the area heard Moore on the radio when he was about five miles out from the island.
But as of Thursday, Aug. 8, there is no trace of Moore, and his family is asking for more resources and help, Love said.
"There is no sign of that plane and it's very shallow waters, it tells me that we are missing something because we should be able to find him,” Love said.
Moore’s friend Cameron Hitchcock told WPTV that he is also looking for answers as to why the experienced pilot has disappeared.
The friends, who met over a decade ago when Moore purchased his first plane and used Hitchcock as a pilot, usually connected at Hitchcock’s Lantana home the night before Moore would fly to the Bahamas — something the Kentucky man has done “20–30” times.
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Due to Tropical Storm Debby, Moore altered his itinerary, but Hitchcock said he was aware of Moore’s flight plan.
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"He spoke to me in the morning, we went over a briefing of what the flight was going to look like, what the weather looked like, what route he should take and it looked really good," Hitchcock told WPTV.
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He added, "I watch a lot when he goes over the Gulf Stream, and then once he gets over the Bahamas I'm like, 'Okay, he's got it'. ”
Authorities in the Bahamas eventually suspended their search for Hitchcock on Tuesday, Aug. 6, according to ABC affiliate WHAS. In addition, the Coast Guard has suspended their search too, according to reports.
However, his daughter Nicole Moore wrote in a GoFundMe post that the family is intent on finding the retired engineer.
"As his child, I cannot do much to help right now,” Nicole wrote. “By raising funds to buy gas or anything to support the search, it helps feel a little less helpless.”
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