John Butt

On September 2, 1998, 229 people died when SwissAir Flight 111 crashed into the ocean near the town of Peggy’s Cove in Nova Scotia.

In the months following the disaster, Dr. John Butt oversaw a team of doctors, pathologists, dentists, x-ray technicians and Mounties who worked to identify the remains of the victims. Butt used to the most advanced techniques of matching DNA to come up with positive identification, and forged relationships with the grieving families.

He now runs Pathfinder Forum in Vancouver, which provides expert opinion on sudden death and multiple fatality disasters. He is a highly qualified specialist in forensic medicine and pathology, and he has taught for 20 years as a professor of pathology, and lectured extensively on forensics and matters of sudden death to police colleges, governments and international associations.