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N.W.T. fire officials have named two of the people killed in a plane crash near Fort Simpson last month.
Ryan Beck and Olivier Lamy died while they were involved in firefighting operations near the community on June 24, N.W.T. Fire confirmed Wednesday.
“Their loss is a wound that cannot be repaired and is felt far and wide in the wildfire community,” reads a statement posted online by N.W.T. Fire. “All were responsible for courageous acts of service to this territory few could imagine.”
Officials have not confirmed the name of a third person who also died in the crash.
Lamy was an air attack officer and Beck an air attack officer trainee, both working for the territorial government.
They were aboard a Bird Dog aircraft when the crash happened, a type of single-engine plane typically used to carry crew and fly ahead of airtankers to direct traffic near fires. The aircraft was working on a wildfire in the Martin Hills area, discovered earlier that day.
The crash is being investigated by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, which has so far found evidence suggesting the plane may have fallen apart mid-flight.
Beck was in his second season as an air attack officer trainee after many years of working his way up the ranks of wildland firefighting. N.W.T. Fire’s statement on Wednesday paid tribute to his dedication, commitment, work ethic and willingness to learn.
“His beaming smile was the first thing you saw, he loved to laugh and dance and joke,” it reads. “He loved his crew and they loved him. He will be greatly missed.”
He is survived by his partner Breanna and their seven-month-old child Atlas Starr, as well as his parents, other relatives and plenty of friends.
Lamy joined the territorial air attack program in 2024 after years fighting wildfires as a crew member and crew leader with Parks Canada. He is survived by his parents, younger brother and many friends and family members.
N.W.T. Fire described Lamy as “fearless, with a sense of humour and wry smile that could cut through the stress and set everyone at ease on even the toughest fires.”
According to N.W.T. Fire, Lamy moved to the N.W.T. in 2012 and had been in Fort Smith since 2014. In the off-season, he travelled to Thailand every year to train in Muay Thai, a martial art.
“His travels meant that countless others, in far-flung corners of the world, got the chance to see the wit, sense of humour, and dedication that made him a great part of the team, and an even better guy,” N.W.T.’s statement reads.
CBC News has reached out to family and friends of both Beck and Lamy.
Beck’s longtime friend Ben McGregor told CBC News he remembers Beck as a good person.
“He was funny,” McGregor said, with a laugh.
The two met in high school and became friends by hanging out at the skate park together, McGregor on a skateboard and Beck on a scooter.
McGregor credits Beck with shaping his own musical taste back then, from The Smiths to Mac DeMarco. He said Beck could be loud, but also had a calming presence and would put people at ease.
“He wasn’t really afraid to be himself, which I really admired then, too.”
He said Beck loved being outdoors and started working as a wildland firefighter in the summers shortly after high school and was committed to returning to the job, season after season.
“I’m glad he’s being remembered,” McGregor said.
A public celebration of life for Beck will be held on July 10 in Yellowknife at the Buffalo Airways hangar in Yellowknife.
