A Courtenay man who friends describe as “a bright light” and “a beacon of kindness” was among the 18 Canadians killed in the Ethiopian Airlines crash on Sunday.
Micah Messent was on board Flight ET302 when it crashed just minutes after taking off for Nairobi, Kenya. Messent had been selected to be a part of a delegation attending the fourth United Nations Assembly of the Environment.
All 157 people aboard were killed.
In a Facebook post two days before the flight, Messent expressed his excitement at being chosen to attend the United Nations event in Kenya.
“Pretty stoked to announce that I’ve been chosen by United Nations Association in Canada as a member of their delegation for the 4th United Nations Assembly on the Environment.
“I’m headed to Kenya tomorrow where I’ll have the chance to meet with other passionate youth and leaders from around the world and explore how we can tackle the biggest challenges that are facing our generation.
“I’m so grateful for the opportunity and want to thank all the people in my life who have helped me get this far. Wish me luck!”
Condolences for Messent poured in over Facebook.
Rebecca Pearson said she worked with him at the Ministry of Environment.
“We was such a bright light,” she wrote. “He made me smile every time I saw him at the office. My deepest condolences to his family and friends.”
“Another young, bright soul taken too soon,” wrote Alisha Mae.
Danny Tran said Messent “will always be remembered as a beacon of kindness”, while Stephanie Mannix described him as “a bright and passionate soul.”
Messent’s family has not been giving interviews.
Messent graduated from Courtenay’s G.P. Vanier Secondary School in 2013, and went on to earn a B.A. in Indigenous Studies at Vancouver Island University, graduating in 2017. His LinkedIn page said he had been working as an Indigenous relations analyst with B.C. Parks since last September.
VIU issued a statement saying it was “greatly saddened” by Messent’s death.
“Micah was an engaged member of our community, contributing his time, energy and talents to his fellow students,” the statement said. “Our hearts go out to his family and friends at this difficult time.”
VIU Indigenous Studies professor, Laurie Meijer Drees, said Messent’s classmates are devastated by his death.
“It was a small cohort of very smart and creative young people who had an unusual bond with one another,” she said. “They stuck together since graduation.
She said Messent was “a remarkable young man.”
“He was bright, very enthusiastic, and what was unusual about him was he was particularly community-minded,” Meijer Drees said. “In university we often have really smart students who pull ahead of the pack, but he was very keen to have everyone along with him.
The group’s outlook included a global focus, which she said helped lead to his opportunity with the UN.
Counselling was made available for both students and university employees.
In an online profile on Ocean Bridge, a site focussing on ocean conservation, Messent said his family lineage included Red River Métis and that he was the youngest of five siblings.
“Growing up, I spent much of my time exploring various communities across Vancouver Island with my family and sailing around the islands and inlets located throughout the Salish Sea, learning the rich, traditional territories.”
He listed his favourite activities as surfing, sailing, biking, stand-up paddleboarding “and pretty much any other activity that involves being outdoors.”
Almost immediately after takeoff Sunday from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, pilots on Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 told air traffic controllers there were technical problems while the plane gained and lost altitude repeatedly. The plane was a Boeing 737 MAX 8 jet.
The plane crashed just six minutes after takeoff. All 149 passengers and eight crew members were killed, including 32 Kenyans, 18 Canadians, nine Ethiopians, eight Chinese nationals, eight Italians and eight Americans, among others.
It is the second Boeing 737 MAX 8 plane to crash in six months. A Lion Air flight departing from Jakarta crashed 12 minutes after takeoff in October 2018, killing all 189 passengers and crew.
Several countries have now grounded the same jet from flying and Boeing’s stock has tumbled sharply following the crash.
- Jeff Bell, Times Colonist
