Two Royal Canadian Navy sailors have been charged in relation to the death of a fellow sailor more than a year after the inflatable vessel he was on capsized in a Halifax-area bay.
The Canadian Forces Military Police has laid criminal negligence causing bodily harm, dangerous operation of a conveyance causing death, and negligent performance of military duties charges.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Gregory Applin, 38, a 19-year veteran of the navy who had recently returned from a deployment to the Indo-Pacific, died on Jan. 24, 2025.
Shortly after the incident last year, Commodore Jacob French, commander of the Canadian Fleet Atlantic, told reporters that Applin and another sailor were aboard a Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB) in the Bedford Basin when it overturned and capsized at around 10 p.m.
French said Applin and fellow crew members of HMCS Montreal had been taking part in sea trials earlier that day. After the trials were finished, a 24-foot-long RHIB was used to bring the crew from HMCS Montreal ashore to Mill Cove Jetty — about a mile away.
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Once the crew members were dropped off, Applin and the coxswain from the Naval Fleet School set off on the inflatable boat to return to the dockyard.
French said the trip from the jetty to the dockyard should have taken 10 minutes, and waves were less than a metre.
The RHIB struck a mooring buoy and capsized, according to the Canadian Forces.
After both sailors were thrown into the water, French said the boat’s coxswain couldn’t reach the radio, so he used his cellphone to call 911.
The 911 call triggered a response by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre, which deployed a boat to rescue the sailors. The two were pulled out of the water and treated by paramedics.
Applin died in hospital.
On Wednesday, the Canadian Forces Military Police said they had concluded their investigation into Applin’s death.
Master Sailor (MS) David Terry, who was serving on HMCS Montreal at the time of the alleged offences, is charged with one count of criminal negligence causing bodily harm and one count of negligent performance of military duties — both under the National Defence Act.
Sailor First Class (S1) Alexandre Garrison, who was from the Naval Fleet School (Atlantic) at the time of the alleged offences, is charged with one count of dangerous operation of a conveyance causing death and one count of negligent performance of military duties.
In a joint statement, Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee and Chief Petty Officer First Class Pascal Harel — the Commander and Command Chief of the Royal Canadian Navy —said the charges are “difficult news for all of us.”
They say the charges highlight the “challenging realities of our service.”
“We operate in a demanding environment where mistakes and errors can have fatal consequences, and we must be accountable for our actions and our inactions,” the statement said.
“There will be a fair, independent and impartial process to determine the outcome of these charges and those accused deserve every opportunity to defend themselves. 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.”
They stressed that the expectations of all members are to uphold standards, foster culture of accountability and to “look out for one another, speak up when we see risks, and take actions to prevent harm.”
In a news release, the Canadian Forces said Applin’s family “continue to express their wish for privacy as they grieve their loss.”
“Should the charges laid proceed to prosecution, (the two sailors charged) will be tried in the military justice system. To protect the integrity of future judicial proceedings and/or decisions, no further information on details or evidence relating to the case will be provided,” the release added.
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