Ottawa man slain in Honduras

A Canadian manon an extended sailing trip was shot and killed in northern Honduras, while his daughtersurvived theviolent robbery attempt,a family member said Saturday.

Milan Egrmajer, 55,of Ottawawas killed aftergunmen boarded his sailboat Thursday night, hisformer brother-in-law Kelly Wilson said, speaking from Mahone Bay, N.S.

Egrmajer, a semi-retired consulting engineer,had lefton his trip fromPort Dalhousie, Ont., two years ago. In November, his 24-year-old daughter, Myda, decided to join him in the Caribbean, Wilson said.

The two werein a lagoon near an islandabout 30 kilometresnorth of the Honduran coast, off the port community of Tela, when their boat was swarmed by gunmen who tried torob them.

Wilson said his nieceused a flare gun to scare off the assailants, then remained on the sailboat for several hours until people on another boat arrived to help her.

Physically unharmedbut traumatized, she was later taken to Belize.

It's not known how many bandits approached the father and daughter, who haddropped anchor because of rough weather.

Canadian Foreign Affairs will only say that there was an incident in Honduras involving two Canadians, and thatthey are working with local officials who are investigating.

Spanish-language media said theCanadians had beencamping in northernHonduras.

Initial reports from Honduran news media that Egrmajer was with his 13-year-old granddaughter or daughter were incorrect.