A Canadian soldier who died in an accident at CFB Petawawa on Friday was doing a routine oil change on an armoured personnel carrier at the time of the incident that led to his death.

It is not clear what happened to Craftsman Kyle Sinclair, 27, when he was working on the Coyote light armoured vehicle. Soldiers performed CPR in the hangar after the incident. 

Canadian Forces spokesman Lt. Jean-Francois Carpentier said Sinclair was resuscitated and airlifted to an Ottawa hospital. He died hours later, surrounded by friends and family in hospital. 

Defence Minister Rob Nicholson said the incident is under investigation.

"An investigation will be conducted into the circumstances surrounding this incident to ensure that every precaution is taken to protect the safety and security of our soldiers," Nicholson said in a statement Saturday.

Nicholson said he felt "deep sadness" over Sinclair's death. "The loss of any member of the Canadian Armed Forces is tragic," he said.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper also offered his condolences to the Sinclair family on Saturday.

"On behalf of all Canadians, Laureen and I offer our deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Craftsman Kyle Sinclair," Harper said. "We will always remember and honour Craftsman Sinclair's service to Canada."

Sinclair was a member of 2 Service Battalion, a combat service support unit charged with maintaining the military vehicles based at CFB Petawawa. He'd been stationed at the base since the spring of 2013, and was training with the Royal Canadian Dragoons at the time of his death.

"There are no words to express a loss as tragic as this," Lt.-Col. Carla Harding of 2 Service Battalion said. Harding called Sinclair a "passionate" worker, and said his co-workers are taking his death hard.

"We too are anxious for the results of the investigation, to figure out what went wrong," Harding said. "And if in fact it was just a one-time occurrence, or we need to do an adjustment to our standard procedures."

Sinclair joined the military in December 2012 after working as a contractor for several years in his hometown of Whitby, Ont.

Sinclair's close friend Marc Fournier remembers him as a helpful, giving person who was always ready to drop what he was doing and help others.

"He was the best friend I've ever had in my life, and was like a second father to my children," Fournier told CTV Ottawa on Sunday. "He was always there for family and friends in need." 

An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that the soldier was killed by an ejector seat malfunction. CTV News regrets the error.