The first memorial ceremonies honoring the crew members of the Hamilton-based air ambulance that went missing off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts earlier this month are set to commence on Friday. Meanwhile, investigations into the crashed aircraft are ongoing.
The U.S. Coast Guard has confirmed the identities of the air ambulance crew, comprising Captain Philip Gregory Childerhose from Oakville, first officer Thomas Henry Farquhar from Brantford, Niagara nurse Sarah Jane Paton, and respiratory therapist Jolene Beth Weir from Whitby. The crew was transporting Marilyn Lavonne Bean, 66, and her son Sergio Wayne Lottimore, 41, both from Bermuda.
A service in memory of Farquhar, a Brantford native who was raised in Regina, Saskatchewan, will take place on Friday, Oct. 16 at the Hillsdale Baptist Church in Regina and will be live-streamed on the church’s website. Another memorial will be held at Shenstone Baptist Church in Brantford on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026.
According to an obituary shared by Farquhar’s father, he was cherished by all who knew him as a supportive and caring individual. The obituary encourages emergency services personnel and aviation community members to attend the memorial in uniform and suggests donations to the Tommy Farquhar Aviation Scholarship Fund at Prairie College in Alberta.
A service will also be held to honor respiratory therapist Jolene Beth Weir from Whitby. The Ontario Nurses’ Association expressed deep sorrow over the loss of Sarah Jane Paton, highlighting her dedication while working in hospitals in Welland and St. Catharines.
Weir’s daughter, Mackenzie Weir, shared her mother’s passion for helping patients worldwide and described her as a compassionate and selfless individual. Weir’s memorial is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 17, at Embassy Church in Oshawa, with a live stream available for remote viewing.
The search for the wreckage is ongoing, led by Canada’s Transportation Safety Board (TSB). The TSB, along with other agencies, is coordinating the search effort using ships equipped with sonar and hydrophones. Recovery efforts are continuing, with no specific timeline provided by the TSB.
Despite locating debris from the crashed jet, the crew and passengers have not been found yet. The investigation is also seeking the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder to gain insights into the cause of the crash. The search area covers a vast expanse of 11,500 square kilometers off Nantucket, initiated after the aircraft lost contact with air traffic controllers on Oct. 3.
CBC News has not confirmed memorial arrangements for crew members Paton and Captain Childerhose, as well as passengers Marilyn Lavonne Bean and Sergio Wayne Lottimore.