Quebec entrepreneur Daniel Langlois, a pioneer of 3D technologies at Softimage, died on Friday along with his partner in a car accident in the Caribbean, his former spokesman confirmed on Sunday.

The couple, who had been missing for several days, were identified by police on Saturday as occupants of a car that was found burned the day before near the town of Gallion in the south of the small island, local media reported.

“Three people have been arrested and investigations are ongoing” on the island of Dominica, where Mr Langlois and Dominique Marchand ran a luxury hotel, his former press secretary Sylvie Deslauriers told AFP by email. Dominica police did not respond to a query from AFP on Sunday.

For its part, the Canadian government said it was “aware of the suspected deaths of two Canadian citizens in Dominica,” but did not confirm their identities. “Our condolences go out to the families and loved ones of the affected citizens,” said Global Affairs Canada spokeswoman Marilyne Guèvremont, stressing that the country is “in contact with local authorities to obtain additional information.”

Made a fortune with 3D animation software

Daniel Langlois, founder of the Softimage company in the 1980s, made his fortune by developing cutting-edge 3D animation software, which was used in numerous Hollywood hits such as Jurassic Parc, Harry Potter and Star Wars and The Matrix. He sold his company to Microsoft in 1994 and three years later received a science and technology Oscar, according to his foundation’s website. “The legacy he leaves us reflects his innovative spirit,” Canadian Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge said on X, calling the Quebecer a “visionary of digital technologies and cinema.” In recent years, Daniel Langlois and his partner have set up a luxury hotel in Dominica, where the government recently gave him an award for his contribution to the island’s development.