'He had more love to give': Family of Quebec gondola crash victim speaks out

The family of Kingston, Ont. man, Sheldon Johnson, who died in Mont-Tremblant, Que. after his gondola was struck by drilling equipment, has spoken out about how much he will be missed.

His co-passenger in the cabin that morning was his partner, Marichu Gadong-Gleyo, 58, also from Ontario. She is in stable but critical condition in a Montreal hospital, provincial police said.

In a statement issued by Johnson's brother Shawn, the family wrote how devoted Sheldon, 50, was to them.

"Sergeant Sheldon Johnson CD was a loving father to three beautiful children, two surviving, who are missing him terribly and one angel in heaven he is now cuddling."

They describe Johnson "as a caring, wonderful brother," and friend.

"He was a member of (the) Canadian Forces for 21 years, always thinking about others before himself. His life was cut way too short, he had so much more love to give," the statement read.

Provincial police and other authorities are still investigating at the site of a fatal gondola crash at Mont Tremblant Resort over the weekend that claimed the life of a Kingston, Ont., man. Sgt. Sheldon Johnson is shown in a handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Courtesy of Johnson family

The family also expressed warm thoughts for Gadong-Gleyo, telling CTV that "she was a beautiful loving person. We are hoping she has a speedy recovery."

'SORELY MISSED' BY MILITARY FAMILY

Fellow members of the 5th Canadian Division (5 Cdn Div) also sent a statement to CTV confirming "with a heavy heart," that Johnson was one of their own.

"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," it read.

"We are doing what we can to support the member’s family during this exceedingly difficult time."

Sheldon Johnson, 50, died after his gondola was struck by drilling equipment (image: David Hodgson).

DRILL OPERATOR FOLLOWED DESIGNATED PATH, SAYS COMPANY

Quebec construction company Forage M2P has confirmed its employee was operating the drilling machine implicated in the gondola crash.

In a press release issued Monday evening, management offered its "most sincere condolences" to the family and friends of the victims.

Johnson died after he and the woman were ejected from the aerial cabin about midway up the mountain.

Forage M2P president Maxime Patry said in the statement that the gondola "was struck by the mast of a drilling rig that an employee was moving from the site via a path designated by the owner of Mont-Tremblant."

A spokesperson for the company, Alexandre Dumas said on Tuesday that Patry wasn't available for an interview "because his presence is still required for the upcoming hours by both the CNESST and SQ investigators."

Cadets from the Surete du Quebec walk near the base of a chairlift where one person died and another was critically injured after a gondola crashed into a piece of construction equipment at Mont-Tremblant Resort in Mont-Tremblant, Que., on Sunday, July 16, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

POLICE STILL WAITING TO MEET WORKER

Several investigations and inspections are underway at the ski hill to try and determine what caused the fatal collision.

Provincial police were not able to question the drill operator on Sunday because he was in a state of shock following the incident.

The Surete du Quebec (SQ) said on Tuesday they still don't think they'll be able to talk to him as they want to ensure he is in a good state of mind for the meeting.

In its statement, Forage M2P also said the crash was "an isolated incident which, at first sight, could have been the result of human error, communication or mechanical failure."

It went on to say, however, that it would be premature to try to draw any conclusions about what caused it.

The company, which works as a sub-contractor on jobs in Mont Tremblant and throughout the region, said it will offer no further comment since investigations are ongoing.

With files from CTV News Montreal's Angela Mackenzie.