'A goofy, lovable guy': Family mourns loss of Danny Beale in Eastway Tank explosion
Outside Eastway Tank is a growing memorial to the victims of the explosion that killed one and left another five missing and presumed dead.
Hats, flowers, and photos are hanging on the fence just metres from one of the most deadly industrial accidents in Ottawa history.
Among them, a trio of bouquets, soft white flowers poking through Monday’s snow, and the picture of a young boy on his mother’s lap; the words “RIP Danny” written in blue marker.
“It all doesn’t seem too real to me, you just think you’re going to wake up one day and all of this was just a dream,” Jacqueline Beale, Danny’s twin sister said Monday.
The 29-year-old from Deep River, Ont. was the youngest in a family of five, if only by a matter of seconds, but to his sisters, Danny was their baby brother.
“He’s just a very sweet kind - I still want to call him a boy; he’s a big 6’2 man - but he’s a big teddy bear,” Jacqueline continued. “He’s this kind, goofy, lovable guy, like no one can say anything poorly of him.”
A tinkerer turned electrician, Danny worked on the large trucks at Eastway Tank, a skill he’d spent years acquiring through time with his father.
“I always remember him taking apart little engines and tinkering around with things, he got that from my dad, my dad’s a mechanical engineer, and they loved to look at things and put things back together,” Jacqueline said.
Beale was also an avid outdoorsman, a picture of his beaming smile as he holds up a prized fish is affixed to the Eastway Tank sign, but it’s the time at the family’s hunt camp on the Madawaska River that his siblings will treasure.
Danny Beale, 29, died in the explosion and fire at Eastway Tank in Ottawa on Jan. 13, 2022. He was an avid outdoorsman, according to his family. (Photo courtesy of Jacqueline Beale)
“He loved fishing, he was passionate about that, if he could be out fishing, that’s where he would be. He gave [his niece] her first fishing rod,” Jacqueline said.
A loving son and brother, Danny was also the proud uncle of a three-year-old niece; always eager to spend time with her, his own childlike exuberance shone through when they were together.
“My daughter didn’t care for me at all when Danny was around, it was like see you later mom, Uncle Dan is here,” Jacqueline continued. “My favourite memories are just watching Danny and my daughter be together because I had the chance to experience him throughout my years and now Olive got to experience that.”
Danny Beale, 29, died in the explosion and fire at Eastway Tank in Ottawa on Jan. 13, 2022. His twin sister Jacqueline says he was a proud and beloved uncle to his niece. (Photo courtesy of Jacqueline Beale)
Beale’s passing was a shock to the family, made more difficult by the horrific cause of his death and the lack of information surrounding the explosion. Sunday, Danny’s family drove to the Eastway Tank site to pay their respects.
“To be at the place where he last was was really hard. Everyday we get new information and then we have to process that and I think all of us are still trying to process the original blow of losing him,” Jacqueline said.
But the connection between twins is strong, and one Jacqueline says she doesn’t worry about losing.
“If he’s around and listening, I feel him wherever I go. I’ve always felt that. He’s one of those people where even though I knew he lived across Canada, I was always looking for him around me and I don’t think that’s ever going to change, and that’s comforting for me,” she said.
Beale is one of the five victims still missing, investigators yet to identify four human remains found at the site of the explosion. It’s a situation that only adds to the family’s grief.
“We’re left with this massive industrial accident where we really don’t know what’s going on day by day,” Beale said.
Investigators have not said how long the investigation could take, only that Monday’s storm was expected to hamper progress and that the investigation would take “some time.”
Still, Beale says she takes comfort knowing her brother’s spirit is with her.
“He was happy and he knew how much we cared for him, cause we would do anything for our little baby brother,” she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.