NASSAU, Bahamas, Nov 6, CMC – National Security Minister, Myles LaRoda, is defending the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) divers as he disclosed that human remains had been found in the wreckage of a Piper PA-32, crashed in waters south of New Providence last Sunday.
The RBDF had been part of the search team looking for pilot Clayton Patterson Smith, a well-known figure in the aviation and sailing communities. A team of civilians that included Smith’s relatives, also searched the area where his plane went down in the hope of finding him or debris from the aircraft.
Earlier this week, the RBDF said that it found debris and documentation believed to be from Smith’s missing aircraft, adding that a drone team and divers, working alongside local search and rescue teams, located numerous parts and official documentation believed to be from the missing plane.
But LaRoda told Parliament that “formal identification is pending” and that “the collection of relevant evidence is ongoing, and arrangements are underway to hand it over to the Royal Bahamas Police Force. The investigation remains ongoing.
“The thoughts and prayers of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force are with the family and friends of the missing pilot and all those affected. I will provide a detailed account from the commodore of the defense force.”
LaRoda would later defended the RBDF’s search efforts, telling reporters “I don’t want to get into that. The boat pilot was well-loved in his community, and there’s going to be an emotional response.
“I can say in my communication with the Commodore of the Defense Force that every effort was made to locate the wreckage. I have seen footage of at least one defense force vessel in the area. I know that it was joint, that they received assistance from the US Coast Guard, and as I said earlier, the defense force mobilised its resources.”
One of Smith’s sons in a Facebook post on Tuesday, said that he and other divers had been in the cold water searching for his father for “over five hours” and only two officers “out of about 30” helped relatives.
Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper said that Exuma has been shaken by the tragedy, adding “it is with a heavy heart that I acknowledge the news of the discovery of human remains in the wreckage of the missing aircraft that Captain Patterson Smith was piloting.
“My thoughts and prayers are with his wife and children, his entire family, and all those who knew and loved him. The communities of Exuma and Ragged Island, and indeed our entire country, have been shaken by this tragedy.”
In a statement, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) said the human remains were found this week during search efforts for Smith’s plane, expressing appreciation to local search and rescue teams and the RBDF for their “dedicated” efforts in the search.
“The AAIA’s safety investigation remains ongoing. Recovered aircraft components, documentation and other available evidence will assist investigators in determining the circumstances of the accident,” the AAIA said, adding that the cause of the crash or contributing factors are not yet known.
Minister of Aviation JoBeth Coleby-Davis expressed condolences to Smith’s family and the wider aviation community in the wake of the findings, giving the assurances of her ministry’s commitment to oversight of the industry to prevent future air accidents.
“We pledge our support for AAIA in its ongoing investigation and reporting protocols and offer the assurance of my ministry’s unflinching commitment to collaborative safety and regulatory oversight measures to prevent future accidents and incidents,” Coleby-Davis said in a statement .
CMC/gh/ir/2026