A member of the Canadian Armed Forces is presumed dead after he went missing when he was caught in an avalanche in Switzerland while on leave from a deployment to Jordan.
Captain Sean Thomas was one of the three people murdered in the colossal snowfall near a popular ski resort in Zermatt on Easter Monday. Nicole (Nikky) Nagy, 25, of Waterloo, and Aleksas Beiga, 15, of Illinois also died.
The Department of National Defense announced his death in a news release and said they are mourning the loss of Thomas, who is an infantry officer and was deployed to Operation IMPACT in the Middle East as part of the Canadian Assistance Assistance Team. Training in Jordan.
Chief of the Defense Staff, General Wayne Eyre, said: “At this time of deep reflection and grief, our thoughts are with the family, friends and colleagues of Captain Sean Thomas.
‘We remember and honor Captain Thomas not only for his service, but also for the unwavering dedication and professionalism with which he served our nation. His absence will be deeply felt by all those who knew him and served alongside him.”
Captain Sean Thomas was one of three people killed in the colossal snowfall near a popular ski resort in Zermatt on Easter Monday.
Shocking video shows the moment the avalanche fell near the Riffelberg area
No other CAF members were in the area at the time of the avalanche, the statement added.
Defense Minister Bill Blair said: ‘We join all Canadians in expressing our condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Captain Sean Thomas, who is believed to have lost his life in a tragic avalanche in Switzerland.
“Canadians will remember the dedication and sacrifices made by him and his family as he proudly served our country.”
Vice Admiral Bob Auchterlonie, Commander, Canadian Joint Operations Command, said: “It is with great sadness that we have learned the devastating news that Captain Sean Thomas is missing and presumed dead after being caught in an avalanche in Switzerland while he was ‘Operation IMPACT permit.’
He added: “I am deeply saddened by this incident, which occurred in what was supposed to be a time of well-deserved respite. Our thoughts and sympathies are with the family, friends and loved ones of Captain Sean Thomas and we will do everything we can to support them in his moment of pain.”
Thomas, who was on leave in Riffelberg, Switzerland, from Operation IMPACT in the Middle East, was due to return to Canada in May 2024. He joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 2018.
Another Canadian who died in the avalanche was a 25-year-old woman since identified as Nicole ‘Nikki’ Nagy of Waterloo, Ont.
Nagy had been working as a paramedic in Perth County since 2022 and prior to that had worked as a firefighter with the La Ronge Regional Fire Department in Perth County.
An American teenager, identified as 15-year-old Aleksas Beiga from Illinois, the son of an Olympic swimmer, also died in the Swiss avalanche.
A fourth person was found injured and airlifted to a nearby hospital after a dramatic search in the Riffelberg area involving four helicopters.
Friends described Aleksas as a “beacon of kindness and intelligence” who loved outdoor sports, including “gliding down the slopes on his skis” at a fundraiser organized for his family.
“Words cannot capture the depth of the pain we feel, nor adequately express the profound loss of a young soul so full of promise, joy and vitality,” they said. fundraising read.
The boy’s father, Ned Beiga, 52, is a former Lithuanian professional swimmer who competed in the breaststroke event at the 1992 Summer Olympics.
Friends remembered Aleksas for his “infectious laugh, boundless energy and compassionate heart” that “touched the lives of everyone who knew him” and “lit up every room he entered.”
“His vivacity knew no bounds and his enthusiasm for life was incomparable,” they wrote.
“Whether it was diving into the pool, racing down the trails on his bike, or carving the slopes on his skis, Aleksas approached every moment with enthusiasm and passion.”
The American teenager killed in a Swiss avalanche has been photographed for the first time and identified as Aleksas Beiga, from Illinois, the son of an Olympic swimmer.
Authorities warn that there is still a risk of avalanches amid hurricane-force winds in the region
After the avalanche, 45 rescuers rushed to find the missing skiers.
They were helped by eight avalanche dog handlers, 13 rescue specialists, 15 firefighters and local ski instructors.
“The deceased are a 15-year-old American as well as a man and a woman whose identification has not yet been completed,” according to a statement from local authorities.
The injured man was a 20-year-old Swiss man, they added.
Authorities warn of the risk of more disasters amid heavy snowfall and hurricane-force winds in the region.
The skiers were reportedly in an area prone to deep snow outside the marked ski slopes around 2 p.m. when the avalanche occurred.
Skiers descend the slopes of Riffelberg with the Matterhorn in the background, 2012
General view of the popular tourist resort of Zermatt in southern Switzerland
“It seemed to me that at the time of the avalanche there were several people on the slope,” a horrified witness told local media Blick.
Bruno Jelk, former head of Zermatt’s mountain rescue service and current head of Mattertal avalanche monitoring, said several had gone off the piste on a “very steep slope” where footprints could still be seen.
“The search was not so easy at first,” saying Anjan Truffer, head of rescue at Air Zermatt.
Two of the victims were found with avalanche-seeking devices on their person, authorities said.