She cared for newborns. Now her colleagues are mourning her following a Bahamas plane crash

Sofia Sosa spent her days caring for newborns.

As a neonatal physician assistant in Coral Gables, she worked with their families during moments that could feel uncertain and hopeless.

Colleagues say she brought compassion, intelligence and kindness to that work.

Now, her colleagues are trying to come to terms with her life that ended so soon.

Sofia, 28, was among four members of a Miami family who died Monday when their private plane crashed into the ocean while returning from a Labor Day weekend in the Bahamas.

Her grandparents, pilot Mario Lamar, 80, and his wife, Lili Lamar, 79, were aboard the aircraft with Sofia and her younger brother, Christian Sosa, 22.

The family was returning to Miami after spending the weekend at Great Harbour Cay.

They never made it home.

Family members later mounted their own search effort, rallying civilian boaters and fishermen after the crash. On Tuesday, relatives eventually found the four family members in waters near North Andros Island, the last-known location of the aircraft.

But for those who knew Sofia, the tragedy is defined by the person they lost.

KIDZ Medical Services Incorporated said Sofia had joined the organisation nearly two years earlier and quickly became a cherished member of its medical family.

“She was a rising clinician whose compassion, professionalism, and commitment to patient care were evident in every family she served,” the organisation said.

Her colleagues remembered her in much the same way.

Kelly Giordano described her as “the sweetest,” recalling how kind she was with NICU families.

Marsha Truett remembered Sofia as “amazing, smart, funny, sweet and so very kind,” saying her loss would be felt at the NICU for a long time.

Others remembered her as a true professional—intelligent, hardworking and deeply passionate about her profession.

Maria de la Vega described Sofia as a compassionate professional who loved her family, children and nature.

Sedy Viera remembered working alongside her, saying she admired Sofia’s intelligence, beauty and dedication to her work.

The tributes paint a picture of a young woman who had built a life around caring for others while remaining deeply connected to her family.

Sofia was a graduate of Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart in Coconut Grove, where she completed high school in 2016.

Her former school joined those mourning her, asking its community to respect the family’s privacy while keeping those affected by the tragedy in their prayers.

Her younger brother Christian was also aboard the aircraft.

At just 22, he had begun building a career as a freelance photographer after graduating from Loyola Marymount University’s M-School.

He had recently fulfilled a childhood dream of photographing the Los Angeles Rams, describing the opportunity as surreal.

Their grandparents, meanwhile, were returning home with them.

Mario was a lifelong and highly experienced pilot, according to his niece, Silvi Larreau. He was also a licensed Florida attorney, admitted to the bar in 1973.