Tributes to Ontario couple killed in Swiss avalanche

The Swiss Alps, famed for their beauty and stunning views, became a fatal trap for a southern Ontario couple.

Capt. Sean Thomas and Nicole Nagy were snowboarding in Switzerland over the Easter long weekend when both presumably died in an avalanche.

Nagy, a Perth County paramedic, had travelled overseas to meet Thomas, who was on leave from an operational deployment in the Middle East.

Thomas was an Infantry Officer and deployed to Operation IMPACT as part of the Canadian Training Assistance Team in Jordan. He joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 2018 and was also a member of the Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada.

Captain Sean Thomas poses in front of a Canadian flag. (Courtesy: Government of Canada, National Defence)

“In this moment of profound reflection and sorrow, our thoughts go out to the family, friends, and colleagues of Captain Sean Thomas,” Chief of Defence Staff General Wayne Eyre said in a media release. “We remember and honour Captain Thomas not just for his service, but for the unwavering dedication and professionalism with which he served our nation. His absence will be profoundly felt by all those who knew him and served alongside him.”

Tributes to Thomas also continued to pour in from the military community across different social media platforms.

In an email statement to CTV News, a spokesperson for the Department of National Defence said, in part: “We are all thinking of the family and friends of our Canadian fallen comrade during this sad time. We will not forget Captain Sean Thomas and all the good things that he did for the Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada. He will sorely be missed.’’

Nagy’s family and friends also shared their grief with CTV News.

“You hardly could find such a person with a big heart and a beautiful soul,” said her father George Nagy.

“It is a tragic loss and it comes to us as a great surprise,” explained Chief Mike Adair, of the Perth County Paramedic Services. “It's not something that you expect when somebody is going to spend some time away from work and do something that they love and they enjoy.”

Nikky Nagy in an undated snowboarding photo. (Courtesy: George Nagy)

Nagy, 25, is being remembered as a caring person with a big heart and an adventurous spirit.

“Nikky was a bright, caring, amazing member of our paramedic service community and family and was always eager to help others,” Adair added.

Nagy’s father said becoming a paramedic was her calling – something she had wanted to do since high school – and the family was so proud to see her living her dream of helping and caring for people. She had worked as a primary care paramedic for Perth County since April 2022.

Outside of work, Nagy was a non-stop adventurer.

“She wanted to cram so much in her life as possible,” said George Nagy. “It was like she knew that she needed to do everything as fast as possible. She was travelling with friends to Japan, to Costa Rica – it was just go, go, go, go.”

Nikky Nagy in an undated photo. (Courtesy: George Nagy)

Perth County Paramedic Services has lowered their flags in Nagy’s honour and will find more ways to honour their fallen colleague in the coming weeks.

George Nagy said he’s taking comfort in the outpouring of support and messages he’s received from his daughter’s many friends. He also knows his daughter died doing something she loved in one of her favourite places – the mountains.

“God took her, now she can snowboard with her boyfriend in eternity,” he said.