North Sea helicopter disaster: Youngest to die were just 24

Published on Thursday 2 April 2009 22:18

THE names of the men killed in Scotland's worst helicopter crash for 20 years were revealed last night, as grief-stricken relatives, friends and colleagues struggled to come to terms with the tragedy.

Those who lost their lives when the aircraft plunged into the North Sea on its way back from the Miller oil platform included father-of-two Nairn Ferrier, football lover Stuart Wood, 27, and devoted family man David Rae, 63, who had spent most of his career on the rigs.

The youngest of those who died were only 24, and more than half the 16 victims lived in Aberdeen or the surrounding area.

Aberdeen's lord provost said the disaster had cast a shadow across the city and the whole country.

As Alex Salmond, the First Minister, suggested a public inquiry would be needed to learn lessons from the disaster, words of shock and sorrow were spoken by friends, colleagues, church leaders and politicians.

Mr Salmond said: "We will find the personal impact will bear heaviest on families in the North-east of Scotland, but also on other parts of Scotland, the United Kingdom and further afield."

Mr Salmond paid tribute to the efforts made by all those who took part in the search operation, adding: "The tragic outcome of yesterday's events tells us that sometimes even the heroic efforts of the emergency services cannot overcome catastrophic events such as these. Our respect for these people should be absolute."

Colin Menzies, the assistant chief constable of Grampian, said: "The impact of the tragedy is already clearly being felt. There is a sense of silence around the city."

A book of condolence at the altar of Aberdeen's Kirk of St Nicholas had collected hundreds of signatures by yesterday afternoon.

The lord provost, Peter Stephen, among the first to sign, wrote: "It is with deepest sadness that we mark the memory of those who tragically lost their lives in the helicopter accident in the waters of the North Sea. Our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies go out to their families, friends and colleagues."

The Super Puma helicopter crashed on Wednesday afternoon, 14 miles from Peterhead, killing all 16 men on board.

Fifteen of those who died were named by police yesterday. They included Brian Barkley, 30, James Costello, 24, Alex Dallas, 62, Vernon John Elrick, 41, and Mr Wood, all from Aberdeen.

Also killed were Paul Burnham, 31, the captain, of Methlick, Warren Mitchell, 38 of Oldmeldrum, and Leslie Taylor, 41, of Kintore, all Aberdeenshire.

The others were Raymond Doyle, 57, from Cumbernauld; James John Edwards, 33, from Liverpool; Mr Ferrier, 40, from Dundee; Nolan Carl Goble, 34, from Norwich; Gareth Hughes, 53, from Angus; Mr Rae, from Dumfries, and Richard Menzies, 24, the co-pilot, from Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire.

The 16th victim, from Riga in Latvia, had not been named last night.

Bond, the helicopter's operator, suspended flights yesterday as a sign of respect to the dead.

Victim Mr Ferrier died only a few weeks after he celebrated his 40th birthday. His distraught widow, Katherine, said that when he was home from the rigs, he would spend all his time with their two boys, Rory, six, and Nairn jnr, three. "He just doted on his two sons and his family," she said.

She said the family had celebrated his birthday with a live band and marquee in the garden. "It was a great night and he celebrated in style with all of his friends," Mrs Ferrier said.

She went on: "He had so many friends all over the world. All day, we have been taking calls from as far as Dubai, Australia, South Africa, Portugal, and Spain. We really have been overwhelmed by the messages of support from those who knew Nairn."

Friends of Mr Wood described him as a "really nice lad". An employee of the well-management firm Expro North Sea, he lived in Dyce, on the outskirts of Aberdeen.

He was a Celtic fan and a keen amateur player for his local side, Newmachar FC.

Michael Young, 27, a school friend, said: "He was really nice lad – really fun, always up for a laugh. Whenever I saw him, he always chatted away."

Mr Wood's final message on the social networking site Facebook, dated Tuesday, 31 March, said he was looking forward to watching Scotland's World Cup qualifier against Iceland.

Alan Quirke, Expro's UK manager, was among those to pay tribute to Mr Wood.

"Stuart started with Expro when he was only 20 years old and worked his way through the ranks to become a talented, enthusiastic and popular member of our cased hole logging department. He will be sadly missed by us all."

Mr Rae had been an oil worker for most of his career and was due back at his home near Dumfries on Wednesday night.

His wife, Shona, who works in a building company office, usually picked him up at the train station and drove him to their home in Christlebank, about five miles west of Dumfries, where they lived with their son, Callum, and daughter, Fiona.

The Rev Andrew Jolly, chaplain to the UK oil and gas industry, said: "When incidents like this occur, it affects everyone offshore and onshore. It also impacts upon the people of Aberdeen too.

"The families of those affected by this tragedy and the wider family of those who work offshore and onshore are in our thoughts and prayers."

IN QUOTES

"The families of those affected by this tragedy and the wider family of those who work offshore and onshore are in our thoughts and prayers."

"Sometimes even the heroic efforts of the emergency services cannot overcome catastrophic events such as these"

Alex Salmond, First Minister

"The petrol in our cars, the heat in our homes are everyday facts of life. It takes a dreadful accident like this to give us a stark reminder of just how dangerous the environment is for all those who work in and support the oil and gas industry in the North Sea"

Scottish Tory leader Annabel Goldie

"The immediate issue is to reassure men and women who are asked to fly today, tomorrow and next week"

Scottish Lib Dem leader Tavish Scott

"It is important we maintain confidence in the North Sea, and those brave men on those aircraft have confidence"

Jim Murphy, Scottish Secretary

"I walked down here from the police HQ and you can sense a stillness and a quietness across the whole city"

Assistant Chief Constable Colin Menzies

SALMOND 'GRANDSTANDING' CLAIM

ALEX Salmond, the First Minister, was yesterday accused of grandstanding and not doing his job properly with his reaction to the helicopter tragedy.

A row broke out in Holyrood over allegations that the First Minister had attempted to have the full day's business suspended as a mark of respect for the 16 people who lost their lives in the crash.

A spokesman for the First Minister accused opponents of "politicking" but said that they would not respond to the attacks.

Mr Salmond was accused by Labour MSP Lord Foulkes of "behaving inappropriately" and using the tragedy to "grandstand" to take some of the headlines away from the G20 meeting in London.

He said with First Minister's Questions suspended as a mark of respect, Mr Salmond could not be held to account for three weeks, with the two-week Easter recess starting.

He added: "This was very sad and it was right that parliament should express its sorrow, but the business of democracy needs to continue.

"Unfortunately people get killed every day; where do we draw the line? The Commons was not suspended for the Second World War; Holyrood was not suspended when 14 pensioners died in a care home fire in Scotland a few years ago."

Lib Dem chief whip Mike Rumbles said the First Minister had failed to do his duty as the MP for Banff and Buchan by not going to Westminster. Mr Rumbles pointed out that health and safety, air travel and the oil and gas industry are all reserved to Westminster.

"I think people in Banff and Buchan might expect their MP to be in Westminster at this time doing his duty," he said.

A spokesman for Mr Salmond said parliamentary business was an issue for the parliamentary bureau.

He added: "Everyone's priority was having an opportunity for the whole parliament to show its role of leadership."

DAVID MADDOX

NORTH SEA HELICOPTER DISASTER: MORE COVERAGE

• Public inquiry could prove a fitting memorial – Salmond

• The Sketch: Death brings dignity to the debating chamber

• Analysis: 'It is very unusual for a fleet to be grounded after a mystery accident'

• Bond's Super Pumas to be grounded indefinitely but aircraft are safe, claims BP

• Oil industry mourns its loss but life on the North Sea continues