The town of Drumheller is mourning the loss of a father and son from its hockey community after an explosion at a Mexican resort yesterday.
The explosion occurred in the lobby of the 676-room Grand Princess Riviera Hotel in the city of Playa del Carmen around 9:30 a.m. local time.
Linda Lacher, president of the Drumheller Minor Hockey Association, was informed last night that Atom Tier 5 team manager Chris Charmont, 41, and his son John, 9, who played forward on the team, died in the blast that also claimed another Albertan.
“This won’t just affect the hockey community, this will have an impact on the whole community,” Lacher told Metro.
“We all know each other and we’re all connected in one way or another.”
Lacher described Chris Charmont as a tireless volunteer, involved in the hockey scene for several years, and someone who’s contribution will be missed.
Lacher said the Charmont family of four was on vacation at the time.
Barry Hoffman of Edmonton said his sister, Darlene Ferguson, 51, was also killed in the blast. He was not prepared to comment further.
The explosion left a crater a metre deep inside the building.
It also blew out windows and hurled pieces of stone paving and glass shards about 50 metres onto the palm-fringed lawn of the compound.
Eight Canadians were reported injured, including two listed in critical condition.
With files from torstar news service and the canadian press
