A Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) training exercise turned fatal when a CH-147 Chinook helicopter crashed near Petawawa, Ontario, late Monday night. The incident, which occurred near the Ottawa River approximately 99 miles northwest of the nation's capital, initially left two crew members missing. Tragically, after an extensive search operation, the Department of National Defence confirmed the recovery of their bodies on Tuesday night.

While two personnel were lost, the other two crew members aboard the Chinook were found alive by first responders and transported to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries. According to Defence Minister Anita Anand, the helicopter was engaged in a nighttime training mission at the time of the accident.

A large-scale search and rescue operation was swiftly launched, involving approximately 100 Canadian Armed Forces members working both on land and in the water. They were assisted by the Ontario Provincial Police marine unit, fire departments from Petawawa and Pembroke, and several military rescue aircraft. Minister Anand confirmed that a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash is currently underway.