ORNGE crash victims 'needlessly lost', Dagenais family says

Family members of four people killed in an ORNGE helicopter crash in Moosonee are reacting to news the province's air ambulance now faces 17 charges under Canada's Labour Code.

The charges bring no comfort, say the parents of paramedic Dustin Dagenais, who was killed in an ORNGE helicopter crash in Moosonee a year ago.

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Jacques Dagenais' says the CEO of ORNGE called Friday to let them know about the charges, just hours before he and his wife were to leave for a first-anniversary memorial in Mooseonee.

All charges relate to the May 31 helicopter crash that killed four people, including their son.

Dagenais said the charges mean four lives were needlessly lost through negligence.

I think that's even worse for us as a family. I think I would have preferred it to be human error."

Ornge has been charged with failing to keep their two pilots safe, resulting in their deaths. One of the charges relates specifically to flying at night.

Carole Dagenais said she's baffled this could happen.

It's a hard thing to absorb, to assimilate, to think about, she said.

Human error happens. We're not perfect. But when it's negligence, it's that much harder.

In a statement, ORNGE wrote that, after the crash which happened shortly after lift-off during a night flight it took immediate action to meet directions, based on health and safety provisions of the Canada Labour Code.

Nevertheless, the air ambulance now faces 17 charges under the Canada Labour Code.

Those charges further draw out the feelings of loss they have for their son, Jacques Dagenais said.

After a year of Dustin's death, you'd think our hearts would have some kind of healing so that we would be back to our normal life, but every day has somehow magnified the loss of our son.