Quebecer Marc Larouche, from Amos in Abitibi, and Ontarian David Domagala are the two captains who died in the helicopter crash in eastern Ontario earlier this week, said the Canadian Armed Forces on Friday.
The investigation to better understand how this accident could have occurred, led by the Director of Flight Safety of the Royal Canadian Air Force, is continuing, also specifies the army in a press release released on Friday.
53-year-old Captain Marc Larouche had obtained a private pilot’s license before joining the Royal Canadian Air Force.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENSE
Captain Marc Larouche
“He was a father, a son, a brother, a friend… He was above all a mentor, said the family of captain Marc Larouche in a press release. He [était] pilot since 1993 and [était] since become a revered instructor. It comforts us all to know that he left doing what he loved the most. »
This soldier had experience abroad. He was deployed to Somalia as part of Operation Deliverance. He had also served in British Columbia as part of Operation Podium. He flew CH-135 Twin Huey, CH-146 Griffon and CH-147F Chinook helicopters, the army said.
He is survived by his sons Maxim, Guillaume and Marc-Antoine, his parents Janine and Alain, his sister Christine and his closest brothers in arms, as well as his spouse Annie.
“May you rest in peace, Mark. You are loved, ”said the latter in a press release.
A second experienced victim
The crash of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter occurred Tuesday, shortly after midnight, during a training exercise near the Ottawa River. There were on board four crew members of the 450e Tactical Helicopter Squadron, based in Petawawa, approximately 150 kilometers northwest of Ottawa. The accident killed two people and injured two.
The second crash victim is Captain David Domagala, 32, from Woodstock, Ontario. He had been deployed as a liaison officer as part of Operation Calumet in Egypt, write the Canadian Armed Forces. During this operation, he received a Commendation from the Commander of Canadian Joint Operations Command.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENSE
Captain David Domagala
Captain David Domagala was assigned to 450e Tactical Helicopter Squadron since 2019, after graduating from the Royal Military College.
“I know that the whole 450e Squadron, the entire Canadian Armed Forces is in shock at this loss and we will do everything we can to [les] support,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday.