'Flying was his dream': Pilot killed in military helicopter crash honoured in hometown of Woodstock
A memorial service for one of two Royal Canadian Air Force pilots killed in a training exercise in Petawawa, Ont. last month was held on Tuesday in Woodstock, Ont.
Capt. David Domagala, 32, of Woodstock and Capt. Marc Larouche, 53, of Amos, Que. died on June 20 when the military helicopter they were in crashed into the Ottawa River. Two other crew members on board survived and were treated for minor injuries.
On Tuesday, Domagala’s friends and family said goodbye at a private funeral at Holy Trinity Parish in Woodstock.
Meanwhile in a public display of gratitude, a Chinook helicopter flypast took place overhead and Domagala’s colleagues from the 450 tactical squadron performed a rifle volley in his honour as members of the community gathered to watch.
“To watch it fly over today, you know you feel it in your gut, you feel it in your heart that it was a piece of him, waving goodbye,” Domagala’s friend Samantha Ewasick said.
The pair met around 2005 when they were members in the same Air Cadet Unit in Stratford.
“Dave was - he was a hero for a lot of people,” Ewasick said.
“He was the type of guy that would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it, even if he barely knew you.”
Domagala’s family asked for privacy but released this statement through the Royal Canadian Air Force:
“Dave was not only a loving life partner, the best dada in the galaxy, an incredible son/son-in-law and dedicated military pilot, he also meant the world to everyone who knew him. He constantly showed us more love than we could ever have imagined, and we will miss him to infinity and beyond.”
“Flying was his dream, and we are all so proud of him, but deeply saddened that his full potential was never fulfilled. The loss of Dave is a tremendous heartache that I hope no other military spouse or family will have to endure.”
Larouche will be honoured in a separate memorial service in Petawawa on Friday, July 7.
With files from CTV Ottawa
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Couple randomly attacked, 1 stabbed, by group of teens in Toronto, police say
A man has been transported to hospital after police say he was stabbed in a random attack carried out by a group of teens in Toronto on Friday night.
Ron Ellis, who played over 1,000 games with Maple Leafs, dead at 79
Ron Ellis, who played over 1,000 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs and was a member of Canada's team at the 1972 Summit Series, has died at age 79.
Fort Nelson, B.C., wildfire doubles in size as 3,000-plus ordered to evacuate
The wildfire that sparked Friday and caused evacuation orders for more than 3,000 people in Fort Nelson, B.C., and the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has grown to nearly 1,700 hectares in size, according to a Saturday morning update from the BC Wildfire Service.
Dutch contestant kicked out of Eurovision hours before tension-plagued song contest final
Hours before the final, Dutch contestant Joost Klein was dramatically booted out by organizers over a backstage incident. He had failed to perform at two dress rehearsals on Friday, and contest organizer the European Broadcasting Union said it was investigating an "incident."
IN PICTURES Northern lights dance across the night sky in southern Ont.
From London, to Grand Bend, Collingwood and Guelph, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.
Haitians demand the resignation and arrest of the country's police chief after a new gang attack
A growing number of civilians and police officers are demanding the dismissal and arrest of Haiti's police chief as heavily armed gangs launched a new attack in the capital of Port-au-Prince, seizing control of yet another police station early Saturday.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
'We have no judge for you': Man's assault charges dropped weeks before trial due to lack of judges in Toronto
A man who was accused of sexually and physically assaulting a woman had his charges dropped in April, just weeks before he was set to stand trial in Toronto, due to a lack of judges in the region.