'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
Stamp prices rise for the third time in five years amid financial woes for Canada Post
Canada Post is increasing stamp prices for the third time since 2019, a move the Crown corporation says is a "reality" of its sales-based revenue structure.
BREAKING Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, claims he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers for Jeremy Skibicki have told the court the accused unlawfully caused the death of four women, but argue he is not criminally responsible due to mental disorder.
WATCH Avian flu: Risk to humans grows as outbreaks spread, warns expert
H5N1 or avian flu is decimating wildlife around the world and is now spreading among cattle in the United States, sparking concerns about 'pandemic potential' for humans. Now a health expert is urging Canada to scale up surveillance north of the border.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
Trump fined US$1,000 for gag order violation in hush money case as judge warns of possible jail time
The judge presiding over Donald Trump's hush money trial fined him US$1,000 on Monday for violating his gag order once again and sternly warned the former president that additional violations could result in jail time.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Holocaust researchers use AI to search for unnamed victims
Researchers in Israel are turning to artificial intelligence to comb through piles of records to try to identify hundreds of thousands of Jewish people killed in the Holocaust whose names are missing from official memorials.
Russia warns Britain and plans nuclear drills over the West's possible deepening role in Ukraine
Russia plans to hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons, the Defense Ministry announced Monday, days after the Kremlin reacted angrily to comments by senior Western officials about the war in Ukraine and Moscow warned that tensions with the West are deepening.