A man from Brampton, Ontario, took a trip to Jamaica last year, and the family, who traveled to scatter the ashes of their late brother, took a turn for the worse when their luggage containing the remains was not found upon arrival.

Charles Matthews told CTV News Toronto on Monday: “It was sad for me to lose him.” "We did everything together. He was like my twin brother."

Conroy, Charles' brother, died in January 2023.

Matthews said his brother's last wish was for his cremated remains to be placed beside their mother’s grave in Jamaica, "He requested before his death that we take some of his ashes and place them beside our mother."

In March, the Matthews family traveled to Jamaica on an Air Canada flight with Conroy's ashes in a suitcase.

Matthews added that when they arrived in Jamaica, all the bags arrived except for the one that contained the remains.

Jean Bennett, Conroy’s sister, told CTV News Toronto: “It was very sad, and very frustrating.” "There were 10 of us who came to hold a memorial service for my brother, but there was no body or ashes to hold the service."

Matthews said he called the airport in Jamaica by phone, went there personally several times, and filled out a lost baggage form. He said that when he returned to Canada the following month, he also contacted Air Canada and was told the bag would be sent to him when found, but that never happened."

Bennett said, "Recovering that luggage would be a miracle, but we still hope." "We have not received any form of compensation, not even kind words."

In a statement to CTV News, an Air Canada spokesperson described the situation as “very unfortunate.”

The spokesperson said: "It is unfortunate that the customer did not notify us at the time of the incident, and instead notified the airport and then Air Canada about three months after the flight."

Air Canada also noted that "cremated remains can be carried on board the aircraft, in addition to the allowed baggage allowance, provided they are stored in a cardboard or wooden box or a jar made of a material that can be security screened with a secure closure, a suitable lid to prevent spillage."

Although we tried to locate the bag once we became aware of the matter, due to the long delay in notifying us of the situation, it was not possible to determine how it happened or track the bag after this period elapsed. The company also said there are limits on how compensation can be claimed and those limits were exceeded in this case.

Matthews said he believes he provided Air Canada with the correct information, and said he feels bad that he could not fulfill his brother’s final wishes, "He asked me to put him beside my mother, and I feel bad that I let him down."