The heartbroken family of Captain Dara Fitzpatrick, who died yesterday in the Coast Guard helicopter crash, have paid tribute to the brave pilot.
Dara was one of four crew members on board Rescue 116, which crashed six miles west of Blacksod, County Mayo, according to The Irish Independent.
The Coast Guard helicopter had gone to the aid of another helicopter when it suddenly vanished at about 1am yesterday morning.
After debris was spotted in the water, fears grew for the crew aboard Rescue 116.
During the rescue operation, Dara was found but was tragically pronounced dead in hospital. Dara, 45, was mother to a three-year-old son.
Dara’s family have paid tribute to the brave mum, saying: “We are so proud of Dara’s work and all she has done to save lives over the years.”
"We are completely heartbroken and we pray for the recovery of the other three crew," they said in a statement to Today FM.
She is survived by her three-year-old son, her three sisters, brother and her parents.
Dara’s sister, psychologist Niamh Fitzpatrick paid tribute to her sister, saying: “My brave sister Capt. Dara Fitzpatrick lost her life. We are devastated. Please pray for the recovery of the three remaining crew.”
Me & my gorgeous sister Dara...we'll miss you forever & love you always #RIPDara #Rescue116 pic.twitter.com/yIfFDlztU2
— Orla Fitzpatrick (@ofitzp) March 15, 2017
Dara, from Kilternan in Dublin, had served for almost 20 years with the Coast Guard, and was a vastly experienced pilot. She was also one of the few female civilian rescue pilots in the world.
She appeared on several TV programmes in the past, talking about her love for her career.
In one video appearance, Dara explained that she hadn’t gotten the points for her desired college course, but heard an advert on the radio about helicopters.
"I went up in a helicopter and that was it. I was hooked.”
— Niamh Fitzpatrick (@NFitzPsychology) March 15, 2017
She was also interviewed for the RTE documentary Rescue 117 , where she talked about serving with Waterford Coast Guard.
"You never know what you are going to face, you could be called up to the mountains, you could be called because someone has fallen off a cliff.
“You could be called at two o'clock in the morning, being called to an injured fisherman on a boat," she explained.
"There is huge variety here, you really don't know what you're facing. I think most of us enjoy that.
“That's the bit of the job that we actually like, because you just don't know what's going to happen for the next few hours."
Three other crew members remain missing, and a massive search is underway.
It’s still not clear exactly how Rescue 116 crashed.
Our thoughts are with the family at this tragic time.
