The owner of a drilling company involved in a fatal gondola crash at a popular resort in Quebec over the weekend is speaking out.
In a statement released on Monday, Forage M2P president Maxime Patry acknowledged that one of its employees was operating a drilling machine at Station Mont Tremblant on Sunday when the mast of the machine hit a moving gondola carrying two passengers.
Both passengers, a man and a woman, were ejected from the gondola and taken to hospital in critical condition.
The man, identified by police as Sheldon Johnson, 50, from Kingston, Ont., died of his injuries in hospital on Sunday.
In an email to Global News, the 5th Canadian Division confirmed Johnson was a member of the Canadian Armed Forces with “20 years of service to Canada.”
“5 Cdn Div wishes to send our condolences to all of the member’s friends, family, and teammates — they will be sorely missed by the Canadian Armed Forces,” wrote Capt. Matt Zalot.
“We are doing what we can to support the member’s family during this exceedingly difficult time.”
As of Tuesday morning, the woman passenger, also from Ontario, remained in critical condition.
Patry, whose company normally acts as a subcontractor at Mont-Tremblant, extended his condolences to the loved ones of those involved.
Since the tragic incident, questions have swirled regarding how and why the heavy machinery was operating in close proximity to a moving gondola.
Patry for his part maintains the employee was moving along a path designated by the owner of Mont-Tremblant.
The statement refers to the tragic crash as an “isolated incident,” which at first sight may have been caused by a human or communication error or a mechanical failure.
Felix Ferland, of CSN-Construction union responsible for health and safety on worksites, said the incident raises a lot of questions.
Usually when heavy equipment such as a drill is being moved you would have a controller or “flagman” to help direct the operator along a safety corridor or warn of any obstacles, he said.
“The operator of the drill cannot see everything,” Ferland said. “And so normally there is flagman that just walks around with a radio and can tell the operator there’s some risk.”
He also said that each worksite needs to have a safety plan that is adapted to the site.
“Each worksite has its own risk and it’s always (evolving),” Ferland said, “a lot of thought has to go into how work can be carried out safely.”
In this case, Ferland wonders if a safety plan was in place, and if the operator was sufficiently trained.
Patry, however, warned against jumping to conclusions.
“It would be clearly premature, even reckless, to put forward any hypothesis whatsoever to explain this accident,” Patry said.
Quebec provincial police remained at the site on Tuesday.
They have yet to meet with the drill operator involved in the incident, who was hospitalized after going into shock in the aftermath of the collision.
Forage M2P said it is offering psychological support to any employee who needs it.
Sûreté du Québec spokesperson Audrey-Anne Bilodeau said witness interviews were ongoing on Tuesday and that an expert analysis of the drilling machine has yet to be carried out.
Quebec’s building authority, the Régie du Bâtiment, and the health and safety board (CNESST) are also looking into the incident.
The gondola ride remains closed until further notice.
Mont-Tremblant is located roughly 130 kilometres northwest of Montreal in the Laurentian Mountains.
— With files from Global News’ Dan Spector
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