Two members of the Royal Canadian Navy are facing charges in connection with the death of a sailor after a vessel capsized in the Bedford Basin near Halifax in January 2025.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Gregory Applin, 38, was travelling in a rigid hull inflatable boat when it struck a mooring buoy and capsized the evening of Jan. 24, 2025, according to a news release from the Department of National Defence.
The temperature was -10 C that night.
Applin and another Navy member were rescued and taken to hospital. Applin, who served with the Navy for 19 years, later died.
Following an investigation, the Canadian Forces Military Police has charged Master Sailor David Terry, who was serving on HMCS Montreal at the time of the incident, and Sailor First Class Alexandre Garrison from Naval Fleet School Atlantic.
Terry was charged with criminal negligence causing bodily harm and negligent performance of military duties.
Garrison was charged with dangerous operation of a conveyance causing death and negligent performance of military duties.
If the charges lead to a prosecution, the accused will be tried in the military justice system.
A separate statement from the commander and command chief of the Navy said there will be a “fair, independent and impartial process” to determine the outcome of the charges.
“Those accused deserve every opportunity to defend themselves,” the statement reads. “We are also extremely mindful that an incident like this almost never results from a single cause or single error, and it is most likely the outcome of a combination of factors.
“The loss of one of our own weighs heavily on us all. Let us honour Petty Officer Applin’s memory by committing ourselves to the highest ideals of naval service and ensuring that every sailor returns home safely.”
According to previous reporting, Applin, a weapons engineering technician, joined the Navy in 2005 and served nearly 500 days on HMC ships. He had recently been deployed to the Indo-Pacific region on the HMCS Montreal under Operation HORIZON in 2024.
He also served as an instructor at Naval Fleet School Atlantic.
