Search efforts end after deadly RCAF helicopter crash near Ottawa

Royal Canadian Air Force helicopter has ended and the two members are confirmed by the military to have died in a crash early Tuesday near Ottawa.The Department of National Defence confirmed the deaths in a statement Wednesday.“The two missing air crew members from the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) CH-147F Chinook that crashed in the Ottawa River in the early hours of Tuesday June 20, were found last evening,” the department said.“Tragically, neither member survived.”The names of the deceased individuals are not being released at the request of their families.The four-member crew was on a training mission when the Chinook helicopter they were in crashed into the Ottawa River near Garrison Petawawa, Ont.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was the first to confirm any deaths from the crash Tuesday afternoon, but did not did not specify which members or how many had been killed.“This incident is a painful reminder that members of the Canadian Armed Forces undertake great risks to defend Canada, whether in combat or in training,” said Defence Minister Anita Anand in a press conference Wednesday morning.She said both of the members injured in the crash were treated for minor injuries, and have since been released.A team of more than 110 Canadian Armed Forces members on the shore and water, an Ontario Provincial Police marine and dive unit, and local fire departments were involved in the search mission Tuesday.Chief of Defence Staff Gen.

Wayne Eyre said the incident was a reminder that military service can be “dangerous work.”“Our people know the risks, and they take them willingly,” Eyre said. “Because they understand the importance of their work.