A field memorial was held Wednesday morning for a Canadian solider killed when a light-armoured vehicle rolled over during a training exercise on an Alberta base.
Sgt. Robert J. Dynerowicz died Tuesday after the accident at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright.
The field memorial was an opportunity for colleagues to honour Dynerowicz’s life and service to Canada. He joined the military back in 2005 and served two tours in Afghanistan.
Friends remembered Dynerowicz, originally from Kitchener, Ont., for his big laugh and natural sense of leadership in the military.
“He’s a great man and he’s got a big heart, and he’s a brave soldier,” childhood friend Dan Twomey told CTV Kitchener, adding that he’s still trying to get a grip on how the accident could’ve happened.
The accident happened during a live-fire training exercise. A vehicle, called a LAV III, unexpectedly rolled over. Three other soldiers were injured in the incident.
The exercise was part of preparations for future missions in Latvia, Iraq and Ukraine, according to public affairs officer Capt. Sally-Ann Cyr.
“We are in shock. However, everyone on the base stands ready to provide any support or assistance to his family, his friends and his colleagues,” Cyr told CTV Ottawa.
Dynerowicz was from the Royal Canadian Dragoons, based at CFB Petawawa in Ontario. In Petawawa, locals remembered the soldier for his kind nature.
“I remember talking with all of them, and he was one of the guys who always had a smile on his face,” said Fadi Diab, who worked at a restaurant where Dynerowicz was known to frequent.
It’s a loss Diab knows all too well. His brother-in-law was killed in Afghanistan in 2009 by an IED.
“It’s really sad to hear such a tragedy. And all we can say is God be with his family,” Diab said.
An investigation, headed by the military police, has been opened into the accident.
“The visibility could have been impacted at that particular point, (we) don’t necessarily know that. As well, certainly the investigation will look at things such as the mechanical condition of the vehicle itself, and the training and experience of the crew,” said Col. Conrad Mialkowski.
The vehicle has a history of rollovers, and when it was used in Afghanistan it resulted in at least five deaths. Lt.-Col. Dan Bobbitt was killed in 2014 when a LAV III rolled during a training exercise.
Dynerowicz's death is the third at the Alberta base in the last three years. Private Steve Allen, from Victoria, B.C. died in 2014 after a wood-and-sandbag structure collapsed during a training exercise.
With files from CTV Ottawa, CTV Edmonton and CTV Kitchener
