DNA confirms Revelstoke plane crash victims as Alberta couple
Dominic Neron and Ashley Bourgeault's small plane went missing Nov. 25, 2017
The RCMP and BC Coroners Service say DNA evidence confirms the remains found at a plane crash site near Revelstoke in September are that of an Alberta couple reported missing in November 2017.
Pilot Dominic Neron, 28, from Parkland County, Alta., and passenger Ashley Bourgeault, 31, from Edmonton, were flying from Penticton to Edmonton on Nov. 25, 2017 when their plane disappeared.
Neron took off from Penticton in bad weather and appeared to get into trouble around Revelstoke.
He did not file a flight plan and the small plane sat undetected for months.
After the couple's disappearance, a months-long search ensued, involving the RCMP, military and the family — with no success.
Finally, on Sept. 10 this year, a B.C. Ambulance Service helicopter crew passing by reported seeing a crashed plane that matched the description of the couple's missing plane. When police got to the site, they said the aircraft "showed clear signs of a sudden and traumatic impact."
RCMP did not reveal the exact location of the crash site, identifying the area only as "remote."
With files from Bob Keating and The Canadian Press