Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered his “deepest support” Thursday (April 30) to the friends, family and shipmates of members of the Canadian Armed Forces missing following a helicopter crash in Europe a day earlier.
While Canada still reels from the aftermath of the last week’s mass shooting in Nova Scotia and the COVID-19 pandemic, the prime minister said the crash comes at a “a time of hardship, heartbreak and loss for so many Canadians.”
The crash of a Royal Canadian Navy Cyclone Sikorsky CH-148 helicopter carrying six Canadians occurred Wednesday over the Ionian Sea, between Greece and Italy.
The helicopter was deployed to the Halifax-class frigate HMCS Fredericton as part of NATO’s Operation Reassurance.
The first victim of the crash has been identified as Sub-Lt. Abbigail Cowbrough, while five others remain missing.
“I am broken and gutted. Today I lost my oldest daughter Abbigail Cowbrough in the crash involving the Cyclone from HMCS Fredericton. There are no words,” Shane Cowbrough said in a Facebook post.
“You made me forever proud. I will love you always, and miss you in every moment. You are the bright light in my life taken far too soon.”
In a brief statement, NATO said its “ships and their associated air assets from Canada, Italy and Turkey are supported in their search operations by Allied maritime and air components from Greece, Italy, Turkey and the United States.”
The military alliance said further about those on board the helicopter will be released in accordance with national procedures.
Minister of National Defence Harjit Sajjan said flight data has been recovered from the crash.
More to come …
