Close X
Tuesday, November 26, 2024
ADVT 
National

39-Yr-Old Richmond Woman And Her American Husband Among Six Killed In Alaska Crash

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 15 May, 2019 10:39 PM

    VANCOUVER — Friends and colleagues are mourning a Metro Vancouver couple who were active in the region's booming technology industry before their lives were cut short in a float plane crash in Alaska.


    Thirty-seven-year-old Elsa Wilk from Richmond, B.C., and Ryan Wilk, 39, originally from Salt Lake City, Utah, were among six people killed when two sightseeing planes collided on Monday.


    Derek Bolen confirmed the two were married and recalled working with Elsa Wilk at Clio, a legal software company in Vancouver.


    "When we worked together she was a highly driven, incredibly intelligent and supportive person who you could always rely on for personal or professional advice and I considered her a close friend," he said in a direct message on Twitter.


    She was a competitive in taekwondo at the national level and brought the same sense of "healthy competition" to everything she did, he added. He recalled how the marketing team at Clio made red "Elsa Army" T-shirts for staff to support her when she was competing.


    Her LinkedIn page said she had worked in marketing for several technology companies and helped launch the video game CryptoKitties.


    Ryan Wilk's LinkedIn account described him as vice-president of product and market innovation at NuData Security. A person who answered the phone at the company's Vancouver office confirmed he worked there and said the company is working on a news release.


    Brianne Rigetti, a former taekwondo teammate on the B.C. Senior Women's Pattern Team, said Elsa Wilk was a "fierce friend and competitor with a work ethic like no other."


    "It didn't matter if you hadn't spoken for months or hours, it was always like no time had passed at all. She would be there for you at a moments notice, sometime even when you didn't know that was exactly what you needed," Rigetti said in a direct message on Facebook.


    "I am so fortunate to have called her my friend, to have travelled and competed with her and to have shared a part of my life with her. She touched so many lives that are better for meeting her and there are a lot of people who lost an amazing friend, competitor, teammate and companion."


    The float planes were carrying tourists from the Royal Princess cruise ship when they collided Monday near the southeast Alaska town of Ketchikan.


    The death toll was initially reported as four, with two people missing. The U.S. Coast Guard said the bodies of the two missing people were recovered near the crash site Tuesday night.


    Global Affairs Canada said Canadian consular officials in Seattle were in contact with local authorities to gather additional information and provide assistance as needed.


    "Our thoughts and sympathies are with the family and loved ones of the Canadian citizen who died in Alaska," the department said.


    The American victims were identified as 46-year-old pilot Randy Sullivan from Ketchikan, 62-year-old Cassandra Webb, 39-year-old Ryan Wilk and 46-year-old Louis Botha.


    State troopers said the Australian was 56-year-old Simon Bodie.


    The Royal Princess left Vancouver for Anchorage on Saturday and was to return on May 25.


    One of the planes was a single-engine de Havilland Otter operated by Taquan Air and was returning from a wilderness tour of the Misty Fjords sold through Princess Cruises, the company said.


    It was carrying 10 guests from the Royal Princess and a pilot, who were all Americans, the statement said.


    The other plane, a de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver, was operating an independent flight tour carrying a pilot and four guests, the company added.


    It's not known how the planes collided. U.S. National Transportation Safety Board investigators arrived from Washington, D.C., Tuesday afternoon.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    'I Want To Be Your Premier Again:' Alberta's Rachel Notley Calls Spring Election

    CALGARY — Alberta Premier Rachel Notley has called an election for April 16.

    'I Want To Be Your Premier Again:' Alberta's Rachel Notley Calls Spring Election

    'Dirty John'-Style Romance Scams Cost Canadians Millions, Police Say

    'Dirty John'-Style Romance Scams Cost Canadians Millions, Police Say
    One expert calls it a "Dirty John" scenario: An alleged scam artist who woos victims with romance and charm.

    'Dirty John'-Style Romance Scams Cost Canadians Millions, Police Say

    Pregnant Asylum Seeker In Labour Rescued From Snow Near Manitoba Border

    WINNIPEG — A pregnant woman who walked across the United States border into Manitoba was rescued after she became trapped in a snowbank and went into labour.    

    Pregnant Asylum Seeker In Labour Rescued From Snow Near Manitoba Border

    A Look At Five Political Leaders Who Will Campaign In Alberta's Spring Election

    A Look At Five Political Leaders Who Will Campaign In Alberta's Spring Election
    EDMONTON — Albertans are going to the polls in a spring election on April 16. Here's a look at the leaders of the five parties that currently hold seats in the legislature:

    A Look At Five Political Leaders Who Will Campaign In Alberta's Spring Election

    Duped Women Andrea Speranza Go After Charming Alleged Con Man:'Everything He Said Was A Lie'

    It started with a chance encounter in a coffee shop. He was charming and attractive, and everything he said mirrored her life.

    Duped Women Andrea Speranza Go After Charming Alleged Con Man:'Everything He Said Was A Lie'

    Liberal-Dominated Justice Committee Ends SNC-Lavalin Probe Amid Opposition Howls

    Liberal-Dominated Justice Committee Ends SNC-Lavalin Probe Amid Opposition Howls
    OTTAWA — The Liberal-dominated justice committee has pulled the plug on its probe of the SNC-Lavalin affair, prompting fresh howls of outrage from the Conservatives and NDP.    

    Liberal-Dominated Justice Committee Ends SNC-Lavalin Probe Amid Opposition Howls