ARLINGTON COUNTY, Virginia. – The family of an Arlington County Marine who died last year received devastating news about their heroic son last month.

Corporal Spencer Collart died in a training accident in Australia last summer, but his family recently learned more about the heroic moments before his death.

At a vigil last fall in Arlington, friends and family gathered, lit candles and wept to mourn the loss of Corporal Spencer Collart, a 21-year-old crew chief on an Osprey plane that crashed during a training exercise in Australia last year.

Collart and two pilots died. Twenty others on board survived, and that was pretty much all his family knew.

His mother, Alexia, told FOX 5 last year how much she loved her smart, intense and dedicated son.

“We just saw this little boy grow into such a sweet young man and we were just so proud of him,” Alexia said.

“As far as we know, he and the pilots died in the crash,” added Spencer’s father Bart.

A few Sundays ago, a Marine Corps investigative team sat the entire family down and said something that shocked them.

“After they told us their condolences and expressed their sympathy for Spencer’s loss, they said, ‘By the way, your son didn’t die in the crash.’ And we were all like, ‘What?'” Bart said.

It is the crew chief’s responsibility to ensure the safety of everyone on board. The investigation revealed that Spencer was seen outside the aircraft immediately after the crash.

However, when Spencer realized that Captain Eleanor LeBeau and Major Tobin Lewis were missing, he ran into the burning plane to try to save them, but all three died.

“It’s really bad news, but at the same time it’s good to know that it was his own decision. In a way, we’re sad to hear that he made that decision, but we’re also so proud that he made that decision because he did the right thing,” Bart said. “I can’t blame him one bit for that.”

Those who gathered last fall felt that Corporal Spencer Collart was special and strong, and even then they thought he was a hero. Now that the investigation is complete, they know he is one.

“God bless him. I just wish he could have made it out,” Bart said.

Spencer will posthumously receive the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, the highest award for non-combat heroism.