10 September 2013
Ottawa, Ontario
Prime Minister Stephen Harper today issued the following statement upon learning that the Canadian Coast Guard helicopter assigned to the CCGS Amundsen crashed in Canada’s Arctic yesterday, taking the lives of its three passengers:
“On behalf of Canadians, Laureen and I offer our deepest condolences to the families and friends of Mr. Marc Thibault, Commanding Officer of the CCGS Amundsen, Mr. Daniel Dubé, helicopter pilot, and Mr. Klaus Hochheim, Arctic scientist affiliated with the University of Manitoba, who perished in a tragic Canadian Coast Guard helicopter accident yesterday in the McClure Strait, in the vicinity of Banks Island, Northwest Territories, while on a routine ice reconnaissance mission to check ice conditions.
“It is a grim reminder of the very real dangers faced on a regular basis by those brave individuals who conduct research and patrol our Arctic – one of the harshest and most challenging climates in the world – to better understand and protect Canada’s North.
“The courage and dedication of these three brave individuals will be honoured and remembered.”
