Four people died Saturday afternoon when a helicopter crashed and caught fire in a field in Sainte-Brigide-d’Iberville, on Montreal’s South Shore. The victims were pilot Suzanne Jutras, 50, and her three passengers: Chantal Raymond, her son Loucas Perreault, and Gabriel Jasmin, a Quebec radio host who was the partner of Raymond’s daughter. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is investigating.
What Happened
Sûreté du Québec (SQ) officers were called around 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 26, to a field near Rang des Écossais, off Highway 10, in the Montérégie region about 50 kilometres southeast of Montreal. The helicopter had crashed and burned. All four people on board were pronounced dead at the scene.
The SQ’s Major Crimes Unit is investigating alongside the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB), whose investigators were on site Saturday. The cause of the crash has not been determined.
A Birthday Ride That Ended in Tragedy
Océane Perreault identified the three passengers in a Facebook tribute: her partner, Gabriel Jasmin, her mother, Chantal Raymond, and her brother, Loucas Perreault. The flight was meant to celebrate Raymond’s birthday.
“On Sept. 26, a part of my world flew away to heaven,” Océane Perreault wrote. “I don’t have the words to describe the pain, the shock, and the emptiness I feel. Three people I love more than anything were taken from me far too soon, right before my eyes.”
Her father, Martin Perreault, who had been married to Raymond for nearly 40 years, also paid tribute online. “I have lost Chantal, my better half for nearly 40 years, a wonderful mother, my best friend, and my constant companion,” he wrote. He described his son Loucas as “my pride and joy, my legacy,” and said Jasmin “had become such an integral part of our family.”
Jasmin hosted a show at Sherbrooke radio station 106.1 Énergie and was the father of a daughter with Océane Perreault. Martin Perreault remembered him as “an extraordinary, caring, and loving dad” whose humour and big heart “brightened any moment simply by being there.”
The Pilot: Suzanne Jutras
Jutras, 50, had been flying for several years, offering helicopter tours and owning two helicopters. Her stepbrother and a neighbour confirmed to CTV News that she was among the dead. Les Félixeries, a family festival in Saint-Félix-de-Kingsey, said in a Facebook post that she had been their pilot for three years.
The Syndicat UPA Haut-Richelieu, a regional farmers’ union, also paid tribute, noting that Jutras was married to Yves Boulais, a field crop farmer and former dairy farmer in the area. “The board of directors of the Haut-Richelieu UPA, along with the entire farming community, would like to offer their most sincere condolences to Yves, their family, their loved ones, and everyone affected by this tragedy,” the union wrote.
What Happens Next
The TSB will examine the wreckage, the aircraft’s maintenance and pilot records, and weather conditions as part of its investigation, a process that typically takes months before a final report is published. The SQ’s Major Crimes Unit is also part of the inquiry. No cause has been announced.
