A married couple killed in a horrific mid-air collision near Pemberton Saturday were on their way to visit relatives when tragedy struck, family members tell CTV News.
Terry Gale, 43, and Rita Gale, 51, were travelling from their home in 100 Mile House to Vancouver Island to visit Rita's sister Sue Turnbull and her daughter and grandson, Turnbull said.
The couple's dog Tessa, who often flew with them, was also aboard the small Cessna plane when it collided with a powered glider near Nairn Falls Provincial Campground north of Whistler.
Terry Gale, 43, and Rita Gale, 51, were travelling from their home in 100 Mile House to Vancouver Island to visit Rita's sister Sue Turnbull and her daughter and grandson, Turnbull said.
The couple's dog Tessa, who often flew with them, was also aboard the small Cessna plane when it collided with a powered glider near Nairn Falls Provincial Campground north of Whistler.
The couple, their dog and the two people aboard the glider were all killed in the crash, which caused debris to rain down on stunned long-weekend campers.
Terry and Rita were married in November 2003 and both worked at a sawmill in the Northern B.C. town.
They loved all outdoor activities including snowmobiling, riding ATV’s, and taking motorcycle trips around B.C. and the United States, Gale's brother Peter Shearer said.
The pilot of the glider killed in the crash, Pemberton man Rudy Rozsypalek, was also being mourned by friends and family Monday.
Terry and Rita were married in November 2003 and both worked at a sawmill in the Northern B.C. town.
They loved all outdoor activities including snowmobiling, riding ATV’s, and taking motorcycle trips around B.C. and the United States, Gale's brother Peter Shearer said.
The pilot of the glider killed in the crash, Pemberton man Rudy Rozsypalek, was also being mourned by friends and family Monday.
“Rudy was an amazing fellow, well-known throughout the corridor,” said Pemberton Mayor Jordan Sturdy. “Certainly a strong skier who spends his winters in Whistler and the summers here working and flying.”
Rozsypalek was a father to young teenagers that both attended school in Pemberton, Sturdy said. He also owned the Pemberton Soaring Centre and those who knew him called him an experienced pilot.
Many wore black armbands in Whistler’s Canada Day parade to commemorate Rozsypalek.
His passenger in the glider was also killed in the crash.
The Transportation Safety Board is still investigating the collision and will issue a public report about what happened and whether any systemic safety issues must be addressed, according to TSB spokesman Bill Yearwood.
Read more: Friends, family mourn victims of tragic mid-air collision | CTV British Columbia News
I knew Terry very well from the years he and I were in the 100 Mile Canadian Rangers together. This is a terrible shock to all of us who knew him and his wife. Very sad news.
Rozsypalek was a father to young teenagers that both attended school in Pemberton, Sturdy said. He also owned the Pemberton Soaring Centre and those who knew him called him an experienced pilot.
Many wore black armbands in Whistler’s Canada Day parade to commemorate Rozsypalek.
His passenger in the glider was also killed in the crash.
The Transportation Safety Board is still investigating the collision and will issue a public report about what happened and whether any systemic safety issues must be addressed, according to TSB spokesman Bill Yearwood.
Read more: Friends, family mourn victims of tragic mid-air collision | CTV British Columbia News
I knew Terry very well from the years he and I were in the 100 Mile Canadian Rangers together. This is a terrible shock to all of us who knew him and his wife. Very sad news.
