Volleyball Community Mourns Loss

Kayla Cotton, from Louisdale, died at the scene in Port Malcolm, a small community near Port Hawkesbury. She was with two students — a 12-year-old girl from Louisdale and a 13-year-old girl from Mexico — who were also killed.

Cotton was a teacher at the Felix Marchand Education Centre and also coached volleyball at the Richmond Education Centre — both in Louisdale — where the two girls were students.

Kayla is being remembered as a vibrant woman with "a lot of spunk" who loved her students and was loved in return.

Flags at Felix Marchand Education Centre and the Richmond Education Centre were at half-mast on Wednesday.

Gertrude Samson, who knew all the victims of the crash, said Cotton brought a lot of energy to the community.
"The kids loved her in the community, she was involved in volleyball. She loved to coach, she loved the kids," she told CBC News on Wednesday.

Kayla Cotton not only helped grow the sport of volleyball in Cape Breton but was an incredible mentor to many children. She will be greatly missed.