Kingston Mayor Brian Patterson says his community is experiencing a combination of shock and grief over the loss of four Royal Military College cadets who died after their car entered water on campus early Friday.
The fourth-year cadets were identified as Jack Hogarth, Andrei Honchiu, Broden Murphy and Andres Salek by RMC Commodore Commanding Officer Josée Kurtz.
“They come from all over the country, but when they’re here, they’re as much part of the Kingston community as anyone,” Patterson said. “We are saddened by this loss.”
Patterson, an RMC assistant, said two of the cadets were in one of his classes a few years ago, but he did not know them well. He refused to name them.
Kingston Mayor Brian Patterson, shown at a press conference on March 1, 2021, said his heart was broken for family, friends and fellow cadets. (Lars Hagberg / Canadian Press)
He said he expects a funeral, but has no details, saying the college will likely run it. He said he had offered the city’s full support and his heart was broken for the family, friends and fellow cadets.
“It’s time to get together, to stand together with the whole RMC community and with everyone who is facing a difficult time right now.”
The former teacher did not surprise the cadet, he decided to serve the country
The cadets were weeks away from completing their bachelor’s degree in arts. Hogarth and Salek studied military and strategic research and planned to become armored officers in the army.
Honchiu studied business administration and was to become a logistics officer, and Murphy specialized in business administration with the intention of becoming a space environment controller in the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Honchiu is remembered by a former high school teacher as a rather quiet and shy person, but also happy and full of energy.
From left to right, cadet officers Jack Hogarth, Andrei Honchiu, Broden Murphy and Andres Salek were identified as victims in an incident on the Royal Military College campus in Kingston on Friday. (Department of National Defense)
“He always had a smile on his face and made everyone laugh,” said Richard Oki, who teaches math to Honciu in 9th and 10th grades at Toronto North High School.
“It was obvious at the beginning of 9th grade math that Andrew was an amazing student,” Oki said, adding that he hoped Honchiu would study engineering after high school. “His work has always been impeccable and he was very smart, not only in mathematics, but also in many subject areas. So he immediately stood out in the class.
Oki said he was shocked by the news, especially considering that Honchiu was only weeks after graduation. In addition to being academically strong, he was a leader on the school’s football team.
“I’m not surprised that he had the courage and bravery to represent our country,” Oki said.
“Everyone feels dropped”: Queen’s student
Tyson Rudolph, a first-year student at Queen’s University, doesn’t know any of the cadets, but he does know other students attending the RMC.
“Everyone feels dropped and dropped,” he said. “It’s really sad to hear.”
Kingston resident Doreen Vroegop said she was “shocked” when she heard the news.
“It just broke my heart to hear that these young children who have worked so hard to get to where they are and their lives are just beginning – they have just been taken away.”
The incident happened shortly after 2 o’clock on Friday morning on Point Frederick, a peninsula at the base of the Canadian forces Kingston, which is located between the port of Kingston and the Navy Bay on the St. Lawrence River. An investigation is under way by the National Investigation Service of the Canadian Forces, the independent military police unit of the Canadian forces.
Several details were made public, with officials citing the investigation, and several RMC members declined to speak.
Rory Fowler, a military lawyer and retired lieutenant colonel, said there was a tendency to close the ranks when the incident caught media attention.
“The only way to find out the details of a military police investigation is, in fact, if charges are brought.”
Fowler expects the initial investigation to take weeks. A more in-depth one, called a commission of inquiry, is likely to take months, he said.
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