‘He was a real-life hero… the love of my life’: Wife of Alberta helicopter pilot

globalnews.ca:

The helicopter pilot who lost his life while battling wildfires in northern Alberta is being remembered as an incredible father to his sons and a fiercely loyal family member, colleague and friend.

A Bell 205A helicopter operated by Valhalla Helicopters went down in a marshy area northeast of Peace River Wednesday evening. The pilot, 41-year-old Ryan Gould, did not survive.

The Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.

Speaking to Global News on Friday, Ryan’s wife Carlyn Gould said her husband’s first love was flying.

“He had been doing this for over 20 years. He was very experienced in wildfires,” she said.

Carlyn described Ryan as her rock — a “real-life hero.”

“I call him a hero because in the 20 years of flying fires across Canada, in the U.S., and in Australia, he has kept many crews safe from being taken out in fires. He has saved people’s homes and their livelihoods. He has taken care of the people, and not just fought the fires.

“He was very convicted and hard-working,” she added. “He wore his heart on his sleeve. He was our protector. He loved our kids, me, his family, his community. He loved his work. It was more than just a job; it was a second family.”

Carlyn said she couldn’t have asked for a better father for their children — aged seven and nine.

Ryan was about 10 days into a 14-day tour, she said.

Carlyn and the boys spoke to Ryan on the phone every night when he was done work.

“My youngest, the seven-year-old, liked to ask Daddy specifically about what he did and how many hours and how many things did he save that day?”

“We all had a conversation with him the day before he died,” she said. “And the only reason we missed his call the day he died was because when he would have called, he was