A BODY recovered from the crashed search and rescue helicopter off the Irish coast has been named as Captain Mark Duffy.
Capt Duffy and the crew of the R116 lost contact with the Irish Coast Guard during a rescue mission with another helicopter almost two weeks ago in the early hours of March, 14.
An investigation was immediately launched off the Blacksod Bay area of Co. Mayo, involving members of An Garda Síochána, Coast Guard, Irish Air Corps, the Irish Marine Institute, to try to find and recover the missing crew members.
The body of Captain Dara Fitzpatrick was found on March 14, and flown to Mayo University Hospital where she was formally pronounced dead.
At the time of her death, Capt Fitzpatrick was 45, and had served with the Search and Rescue units for 20 years.
The wreckage of the helicopter was located on the seabed on the eastern side of Black Rock lighthouse, 10 miles west of Blacksod Bay, last Friday, March 24, where investigators said the tail end of the wreckage had "contact" with the rocks at Black Rock lighthouse.
Due to severe weather, diving for the remaining crew members was delayed, however, yesterday, the Irish Coast Guard confirmed on its Facebook page that the body recovered from the wreckage of the helicopter was that of Capt Mark Duffy.
"An Garda Síochána have confirmed that the body recovered from the wreckage of Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 116 is that of Captain Mark Duffy.
"Captain Mark Duffy was escorted ashore by both local Coast Guards and Coast Guard helicopter crews joined by Gardai, Naval Service personnel, and local rescue workers," they said.
In the video below, the body of Capt Duffy is given an escort by the Coast Guard officers as a piper plays Raglan Road.
An Garda Síochána have confirmed that the body recovered from the wreckage of Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 116 is that of Captain Mark Duffy. RIP
The search for winchman Ciarán Smith and winch operator Paul Ormsby continues.
Captain Mark Duffy was escorted ashore by both local Coast Guards and Coast Guard helicopter crews joined by Gardai, Naval Service personnel, and local rescue workers.
Video credit, RTÉ News.
Posted by Irish Coast Guard on Sunday, 26 March 2017
The Air Accident Investigation Unit in consultation with An Garda Síochána, the Naval Service, the Coast Guard, the GSI, the Commissioner for Irish Lights and the Marine Institute found the flight recorder (black box) of R116 on the sea bed on the Eastern side of Black Rock.
The black box was found approximately 40m underwater.
It has now been flown to Britain to be downloaded and analysed.
The search for winchman Ciarán Smith and winch operator Paul Ormsby continues into its 13th day.
