Former DCB Company Owner Rob Blair Dies In Helicopter Accident

A Canadian go-fast powerboat enthusiast who called British Columbia home, former DCB Performance Boats company owner Rob Blair died Friday in a private helicopter accident in Canada’s Glacier National Park. Yesterday, CBC news reported that a helicopter traveling from Alberta to British Columbia went missing on Friday evening. The helicopter was owned and piloted by Blair. He was 65 years old.

Canadian Rob Blair (blue shirt) worked closely with the entire team at DCB.

No additional passengers were on board at the time of the incident. Rescuers located the crash site this afternoon and confirmed Blair’s death.

The investigation into the crash by Canadian aviation officials is ongoing. The cause of the incident has not been determined.

A passionate DCB catamaran customer, Blair became the primary owner of the El Cajon, Calif.-located company in 2011. Under his leadership, key DCB employees Tony Chiaramonte, Jeff Johnston and Paul Miller later became partners and shareholders in the company.

In June 23, Arizona’s Craig and Kim Hargreaves purchased the company, which was renamed DCB Performance Marine, and moved it to a new facility in Phoenix. Chiaramonte, Johnston and Miller remain partial owners.

Canadian Rob Blair became the primary owner of DCB in 2011.

“We cannot begin to thank Rob Blair enough—we wouldn’t even know where to start,” Johnston said in a speedonthewater.com article reporting DCB’s sale to the Hargreaves family. “Rob has supported our efforts for years and he has pulled us through tough times. He’s also been amazing to work with. We simply wouldn’t be here without him.”

Blair is survived by his wife, Gail—the couple had been married for more than 40 years—and their four adult children.