A decorated soldier was killed Wednesday in a training accident at CFB Wainwright in Alberta.
Lt.-Col. Dan Bobbitt died when the light armoured vehicle he was in rolled over around 11 a.m. local time.
Four other soldiers were injured in the accident, the military said late Wednesday. Two of them were listed in fair condition Wednesday night, while the other two were treated on the base and released.
Bobbitt was the Commanding Officer of the 2nd Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (2 RCHA), based in Garrison Petawawa, Ont. The injured soldiers were also members of 2 RCHA.
They were among some 5,000 military personnel participating in the Maple Resolve 2014 exercise at CFB Wainwright, one of the busiest army bases in Canada.
CFB Wainwright is located 210 kilometres east of Edmonton.
For more than 25 years, Bobbitt had served in a number of military roles and completed multiple deployments to war zones.
He served one mission in Afghanistan in 2007 and two tours of Bosnia.
Late Wednesday, Defence Minister Rob Nicholson offered his condolences in a statement.
“It is with profound sorrow that I learned of the death of a Canadian Armed Forces soldier while on exercise in Wainwright, Alberta. I would like to extend my heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the fallen soldier,” he said.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones as they deal with this tragic loss, and with the families of the soldiers who were seriously injured."
A friend described Bobbitt Wednesday as "truly an exceptional officer and a first rate human being.
“A family man, friend to everyone, dynamic leader, combat proven and had a very bright future ahead of him. He was a really great guy," the friend said.
Bobbitt leaves behind his wife and three children.
This is not the first time a soldier has died at CFB Wainwright. An American soldier was killed in 2008 during a military exercise there and in 2007, a Quebec-based soldier died when a 10-tonne truck he was driving rolled over.
In 2005, one Canadian soldier was killed and two others injured when a light armoured vehicle rolled into water during training at the base.
