Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan are mourning the loss of a comrade who died after tumbling down a well during a nighttime patrol.
Capt. Jonathan Sutherland Snyder was a member of 1st Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton.
"We are saddened by his death, and we will not forget his commitment to his fellow soldiers and to this mission," Brig.-Gen. Denis Thompson, Canada's top commander in Afghanistan, told reporters Sunday at Kandahar Airfield.
Snyder, 26, was part of a team that trained and mentored the Afghan National Army. His unit was patrolling in Zhari district on foot.
The area is filled with grape fields, and wells -- known locally as karizes -- dot the region. They are usually unmarked and tie into underground irrigation ditches.
Snyder fell into one such kariz at about 9 p.m. local time.
"I spoke to his patrol this morning and they related how desperately they worked to extract him from the well as they radioed for help," Thompson said, adding the well may have been up to 20 metres deep.
The army dispatched medical, engineering and search and rescue personnel to the scene. They lifted Snyder out of the well. A helicopter rushed him to the Multi-National Medical Unit at Kandahar Airfield, but he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
David Snyder, the soldier's father, was visibly shaken by news of the accident and could offer few words. He said, "I will have a hollow in my being forever."
Snyder, from Penticton, B.C., was on his second tour of Afghanistan and third overseas mission.
"His recent leadership in the field likely saved both Canadian and Afghan lives," said Thompson.
Late Sunday night, thousands of soldiers lined the tarmac at Kandahar Air Field to say farewell to Snyder, as his body was taken aboard a C-130 Hercules for the long journey back to Canada.
Maj. Doug Frisen, senior chaplain of the Joint Task Force, recited a prayer during the ramp ceremony.
"Capt. Jonathan Sutherland Snyder was a dedicated and professional officer, his courage, even in dire adversity inspired the best in the men he led," said Frisen. "Those who knew him well consider themselves fortunate."
Prime Minister Stephen Harper gave his condolences to Snyder's family, friends and fianc�e -- Snyder was engaged to be married.
"He will be remembered as someone who worked shoulder to shoulder with Afghans to help bring security and stability back to their country, a key part of Canada's focus on training Afghan forces," he said in a statement.
Liberal Leader Stephane Dion also thanked Snyder for his service, saying his "contributions will not be forgotten."
Since the war in Afghanistan started, 85 Canadian military personnel and one diplomat have died.
BBC journalist killed
Later Sunday, the BBC reported that one of its Afghan journalists who had been kidnapped has been found dead.
Abdul Samad Rohani had been working in Helmand province for the Pashto language service of the BBC.
He had been kidnapped on Saturday from the town of Lashkar Gar. His kidnappers killed Rohani by shooting him in the head.
Officials in Helmand say they are investigating the death and that it isn't yet clear who killed Rohani, who leaves behind two wives and a daughter.
The Taliban denied any involvement in his death.
The UN mission in Afghanistan urged a thorough investigation. "Afghan journalists risk their lives every day to highlight the concerns and needs of ordinary Afghan people and it is most upsetting that such selfless individuals are being targeted for no other reason than doing their job," said Aleem Siddique, a UN spokesperson.
About two dozen Afghan journalists gathered in Kandahar late Sunday to demand an arrest in the case.
Rohani is at least the fourth journalist to die in Afghanistan in the past year.
With files from The Canadian Press and The Associated Press
