Friends and family have identified former North Vancouver resident Gareth Morgan as the pilot killed in a float plane crash near Sydney, Australia on New Year’s Eve.
Morgan was flying the single-engine de Havilland Beaver on a sight-seeing trip when it crashed into the Hawkesbury River, killing all six aboard.
Morgan graduated from Argyle Secondary in 1991. Tributes pouring in online characterize him as an adventure-seeking outdoorsman, an avid soccer player and a devout Christian.
“Gareth Morgan was a quiet, humble man who loved God with a passion. He always had a smile and a kind word for whoever he interacted with,” a Facebook memorial page in his honour read. “Gareth was doing what he loved when he was called home.”
A statement from Morgan’s employer Sydney Seaplanes also paid tribute. “He was an extremely experienced pilot, with over 10,000 hours total time, of which approximately 9,000 hours was seaplane time. On a personal level, he was deeply respected and liked by me and all of the team here as a man and as a pilot,” said Aaron Shaw, managing director. “I have spoken to Gareth’s parents, who live in Canada, and offered our deepest sympathies and we will support them in any way we can.”
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is investigating the crash, and is expected to produce a preliminary report within 30 days.
