Exuma Divers, Including Pat Smith’s Family, Found the Wreckage First, Residents Say

By Michael Elijah Muhammad Clare | LOL242
Tuesday, November 3, 2026

The search goes on for Exuma pilot Clayton Patterson Smith, known to many as “Pat”, whose Piper PA-32 went missing on Sunday, November 1, while flying from Exuma to Nassau. And the people of Exuma want one thing set straight: according to residents and people close to the search, it was Exuma divers, including Captain Smith’s own sons and brother, who found the aircraft parts first.

What the people are saying

After the first reports credited the Royal Bahamas Defence Force with the find, Exuma residents spoke up in large numbers. Many said Captain Smith’s sons and brother, together with other divers from Exuma, located the wreckage themselves. “The guys from Exuma dove and found it,” one resident wrote, and others agreed. Some people involved in the volunteer search also say they felt they got little help from officials while they searched.

lol242 has corrected our earlier wording to reflect these accounts. We honour the family and the Exuma divers who went into the water for one of their own.

What officials have said

The Defence Force said on November 3 that its drone team and divers, working with local search and rescue teams, had located parts and official documents believed to be from the aircraft, registered C6-PAT. It said the plane was last seen on radar about 25 nautical miles south of New Providence, and thanked the United States Coast Guard and local teams. It is not yet clear whether all of the wreckage has been found, and the search continues for the fuselage.

Footage from the search

Footage from the search area

No word yet on Captain Smith

There is still no confirmed information about Captain Smith. He is an Exuma resident, a husband and father, an experienced pilot, and a well-known Exuma business owner and boat captain. His family has said they are holding on to hope.

For background, read our earlier report: Aircraft Parts Found at Sea as Search Continues for Missing Exuma Pilot Clayton “Pat” Smith.

lol242 will keep following this story. Our prayers remain with Captain Smith, his family, the Exuma divers and everyone searching.