Family mourns Alberta pilot who died fighting wildfire
CBC
A pilot whose helicopter crashed while fighting a forest fire in northern Alberta is remembered as a big man with a big heart.
"He travelled and made an impact wherever he went," Ryan Gould's family said in a statement Friday shared by family friend Kassy Goodyer.
Gould was a skilled pilot with family roots in aviation.
On Wednesday, Gould's helicopter crashed near Haig Lake, 140 kilometres northeast of Peace River, Alta. The 41-year-old was flying the aircraft alone.
His death was the third in recent days involving wildfire-fighting efforts in Canada.
Gould leaves behind his wife, Carlyn, and two young boys. The couple, who got married in 2009, had recently bought a farm — "a peaceful place to call home" — south of his hometown of Whitecourt to set their roots after living in a few places in southern Alberta.
Gould's co-workers called him a "panda" for his big stature and kind heart.
"His blue eyes and sense of humour are unforgettable," the statement said.
Goodyer has set up a fundraiser on GiveSendGo to support Gould's family.
Gould, a sole provider for his family, spent "much time away from home flying the skies," wrote Goodyer on the fundraiser page.
"[His wife] did bookkeeping from home, natural horsemanship and home-schooled their children on the farm while counting days until Ryan was home from a shift."
She said Gould "was well loved" and will be missed by many.
Last week, Devyn Gale, a 19-year-old firefighter, died after a tree fell on her near Revelstoke, B.C.
Adam Yeadon, 25, died last Saturday while fighting a wildfire near his home in Fort Liard, N.W.T.
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