I’ll never give up hope of finding Ciaran...
Sister tells of heartache over R116 crash brother
THE sister of one of the Rescue 116 crash victims has opened up about her loss, saying she lives in hope that her brother’s body will be found.
Dubliner Ciaran Smith is still missing after the helicopter he was in went down off the coast of Mayo in March. Three of his colleagues were also killed in the horror crash.
His sister Orla Smith revealed that although she still feels like Ciaran’s spirit is with her at all times, she wishes she could say a real goodbye to him.
She told Marian Finucane on RTE Radio 1: “Initially I wanted him home for my mam and dad – this boy they created and brought up. But now I want him home for him, because Ciaran was a homebody.
“I know we’ve had a memorial and that has definitely been cathartic, but there is something about the ritual of a funeral – it would allow us to put a circle around this moment.
“Do I think we will find him? I’m really not sure. But I think that as long as I live, I will have hope that we will get his body home.”
Mark Duffy, Paul Ormsby and Dara Fitzparick were the other crew members on board the downed helicopter. Capt Fitzpatrick and Capt Duffy’s bodies were found.
Now I want him home for him because Ciaran was a homebody ORLA SMITH SISTER OF CRASH VICTIM CIARAN