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One day after a helicopter crash in Sainte-Brigide-d’Iberville, Que., that killed four people, tributes are pouring in for the victims.
In a moving social media post, Océane Perreault recounted how on Sept. 26, a part of her life “flew off to heaven.”
Perreault lost her life partner Gabriel Jasmin in the crash, as well as her mother Chantal Raymond and her brother Loucas Perreault.
Perreault said the helicopter ride was meant to celebrate her mother’s birthday but instead turned into a tragedy.
“I have no words to describe the pain, the shock, and the emptiness I feel. Three people I love more than anything are gone far too soon — right before my eyes,” she wrote in French.
She called Jasmin the love of her life and “the best dad in the world.” She described her mother as “her rock, her comfort, her home,” while her brother, she said, was her “partner-in-crime.”
Perreault said the tragedy was a reminder to cherish the people in your life.
“Hold your loved ones a little tighter. Tell them you love them. Call the people you miss,” she wrote. “Cherish the little moments, the fits of laughter, the ordinary days. And above all, stop worrying about the small stuff. Because, in the end, the people we love are what matter most.”
Jasmin was a radio host and advertising producer at Énergie Sherbrooke radio.
Énergie 106.1 took to social media to express their condolences to Jasmin’s loved ones, including his wife and daughter and his team at Bell Media.
“Our thoughts are with all those affected by his passing,” the post reads.
Suzanne Jutras was ‘our favourite pilot’
The other victim of the helicopter crash was identified by organizers of a Quebec cultural festival as pilot Suzanne Jutras.
The helicopter crashed in a corn field near near Rang des Écossais, just off Highway 10, around 2:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Initially, the Sûreté du Québec said they believed the aircraft had experienced difficulties shortly after takeoff leading to the crash. In an update Sunday, however, SQ spokesperson Valérie Beauchamp said the crash happened when the aircraft was returning.
Jutras, a commercial pilot, was based in Sainte-Brigide-d’Iberville, according to a Linkedin profile in her name.
She regularly offered helicopter tours, including last weekend at les Félixeries, a cultural and community festival in Saint-Félix-de-Kingsey, near Drummondville.
Festival organizers confirmed to CBC News that Jutras was the pilot killed in Saturday’s crash.
In a post on social media, les Félixeries paid tribute to Jutras, calling her their “favourite pilot of the past three years.”
“We extend our deepest sympathies to her partner, family, friends, and everyone who had the privilege of knowing her through her passion,” the French-language post said.
Jutras had plenty of experience, said one of her friends, a fellow pilot who spoke to Radio-Canada off camera.
The region’s agricultural community also expressed their support to Jutras’ family, noting that her partner was a field crop farmer and former dairy farmer in the area.
The SQ did not confirm the identities of the victims, referring any inquiries to the Quebec coroner’s office.
The office did not respond in time for publication.
The SQ says it had concluded its investigation and the matter is now in the hands of the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.
Federal Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon said on Saturday that he would appoint a minister’s observer to monitor the response alongside the TSB.