A Canadian Armed Forces member who served with the Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada in Cambridge, went missing in an avalanche in Switzerland on April 1 while on leave and is presumed to have been killed.
In a press release Sunday, the Canadian Armed Forces said it has extended condolences to Captain Sean Thomas's family and are providing the family with resources and support during this difficult time.
Thomas was on leave in Riffelberg, Switzerland, from Operation IMPACT, in the Middle East, and is presumed to have died in the avalanche that occurred on April 1, 2024. No other members of the Canadian Armed Forces were in the area at the time.
Captain Thomas was an Infantry Officer and deployed to Operation IMPACT as part of the Canadian Training Assistance Team in Jordan, helping to build the military capabilities of regional partners, and set the conditions for stability and security in the Middle East.
He deployed in November of 2023, and was scheduled to return to Canada in May.
He joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 2018 and was a member of the Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada, a Reserve unit under 31 Canadian Brigade Group.
The family has requested that their privacy be respected.
“We join all Canadians to extend our condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Captain Sean Thomas who is presumed to have lost his life in a tragic avalanche in Switzerland," said national defence minister Bill Blair in the release.
"Canadians will remember the dedication and sacrifices made by him and his family, as he proudly served our country.”
Capt Sean Thomas is missing and presumed dead after being caught in an avalanche in Switzerland while on leave from #OpIMPACT. https://t.co/8QR7j3hkFF pic.twitter.com/Lb7XoOaZQR
— Canadian Armed Forces (@CanadianForces) April 7, 2024
