Repatriation for six fallen members
OTTAWA - A repatriation ceremony took place on Wednesday, May 6, at 8 Wing/CFB Trenton, for the six Canadian Armed Forces members killed in a helicopter crash April 29.
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) CH-148 Cyclone helicopter was deployed in the Mediterranean Sea with HMCS Fredericton as part of Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 under Operation REASSURANCE. At the time of the accident, the Canadian ship was conducting collaborative training with Italian and Turkish ships. The Cyclone was conducting concurrent flight operations.
Sub-Lieutenant Abbigail Cowbrough was the first victim identified, and five other members were presumed dead.
On May 9, the Office of the Chief Coroner for Ontario identified the partial remains of Captain Brenden Ian MacDonald.
Captain MacDonald, a Pilot, was originally from New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. His family, and the families of the other crew members lost in the accident, have all been notified of this identification.
Still missing and presumed dead are:
- Captain Kevin Hagen, Pilot, originally from Nanaimo, British Columbia
- Captain Maxime Miron-Morin, Air Combat Systems Officer, originally from Trois-Rivières, Québec
- Sub-Lieutenant Matthew Pyke, Naval Warfare Officer, originally from Truro, Nova Scotia
- Master Corporal Matthew Cousins, Airborne Electronic Sensor Operator, originally from Guelph, Ontario
The CAF are providing members and their families with as much support as possible, including a wide range of resources to help them through this difficult time.
A RCAF Flight Safety team continues to investigate the circumstances of the accident while recovery efforts and search for additional remains will continue.
The CAF community expresses its deepest condolences to the families, friends, and colleagues of all our six members.
