John Seymour often gets goosebumps when he visits Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia. He can’t help but think about the Swissair tragedy.
The drama was so violent and traumatic. We felt helpless in the face of all this. Some colleagues suffered nervous breakdowns. They had to be removed from the ship, says the man who was involved in the research as an engineer on the Coast Guard team.
He worked day and night for a month on the boat Mary Hichens, which conducted searches at sea. His boat picked up the human remains, personal belongings and aircraft debris found by fishermen and soldiers. It was a desolate scene and the search was endless.
Open in full screen mode
In this 1998 photo, Engineer John Seymour wears a white hat while helping the Canadian Coast Guard search.
Photo: Courtesy of John Seymour
At first I had constant nightmares. Even 25 years later, I still have bad dreams sometimes. I wake up at 4 a.m. and find myself at the crash site, in the boat.
It was September 2, 1998 and Swissair Flight 111 had just crashed violently into the sea. Smoke had been detected on the plane flying between Geneva and New York and the pilot attempted to land the plane in Halifax. All 229 people on board were killed.
John Seymour remembers the noise of the crash. He lives near Peggy’s Cove and had just fallen asleep. The plane crashed just a few kilometers off the coast.
Open in full screen mode
For a month in 1998, John Seymour was one of five crew members responsible for picking up human remains, personal belongings and aircraft debris found at sea on the deck of the Mary Hichens.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Michèle Brideau
Certain sounds and smells remind him of the tragedy, such as the omnipresent smell of fuel. He also developed an aversion to using the telephone. Even today, when he rings the doorbell, John Seymour doesn’t want to answer. A phone call called him back to work to take part in the research.
Open in full screen mode
Peggy’s Cove is one of the most beautiful places in Nova Scotia. Up to 700,000 tourists come here every year to admire the rocks by the sea.
Photo: CBC / Mark Crosby
The fear
Quebecer André Gasse suffers from post-traumatic stress, dissociation and avoidance.
While the remains were recovered offshore, he led the dive team on the Canadian Navy Preserver.
The smells, the red lights, the fear. When I return to Peggy’s Cove, I’m scared. Not up to the task of saving people. They’re all dead.
Open in full screen mode
Retired Canadian marine André Gasse suffers from post-traumatic stress.
Photo: CBC / Paul Landry
André Gasse has experienced several grueling assignments in his career. The Swissair crash was one event too many.
Sometimes I fall asleep at 5am. I’m thinking of Peggy’s Cove.
25th anniversary celebrations
The Federal Veterans Department is organizing two celebrations to mark the 25th anniversary of the Swissair crash. There will be a candlelight vigil on Saturday evening to commemorate the 229 victims. On Sunday morning, the federal government will pay tribute to the country’s contribution to the reconstruction effort.
Open in full screen mode
A man pays his respects at the Swissair Memorial September 2, 2001 in Bayswater, Nova Scotia.
Photo: The Canadian Press / Andrew Vaughan
André Gasse hesitates to go there. I’m not even sure I’m going to Nova Scotia. I don’t have the courage. There are too many bad memories, he says, to change your mind for even a moment. I will go. I know I change my mind often, but I know I’ll try. That is good for me. It will help me grow.
Despite everything, John Seymour is doing well. He says he’s proud to have helped recover the remains of everyone who was missing. This difficult task made it possible to identify the 229 passengers and crew members based on their DNA. A balm for families and for him.
“That pride helps me get through a lot of what we’ve been through,” says John Seymour.
In March 2003, the Transportation Safety Board published its final report on the causes of the accident. He concluded that there was a short in the passenger entertainment system and that the fire was spreading quickly through a highly flammable insulating material that is now banned on airplanes.