Casualty of rescue helicopter crash off Mayo coastline is named

THE Irish Coast Guard has named Dara Fitzpatrick as the first casualty of today's rescue helicopter crash off the Mayo coastline.

Gerard O’Flynn, a spokesperson for the Coast Guard, confirmed her death at Blacksod this afternoon.

She was recovered from the water in a critical condition at first light, hours after Rescue 116 disappeared. She was later pronounced dead.

O’Flynn said it is a “difficult time” for her company CHC Helicopter and the Coast Guard.

“Dara is the most senior pilot with CHC – with the company close to 20 years,” he told reporters.

“Outside of her work as a pilot, she did an enormous amount of work in water safety and was always available to do school visits and highlight basic water safety.

“For all of us involved in the Coast Guard, and particularly her family, it does come as a big shock and we want to extend our sincere sympathies to her sympathy to all her family and indeed to her flying colleagues at CHC.”

Mayo Senator Rose Conway-Walsh, who lives in the local community, has expressed her sincere condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Captain Dara Fitzpatrick.

While combined rescue efforts continue, Conway-Walsh has said that the remaining missing crew members are in all of our thoughts and prayers at this very difficult time.

'I, like many others living on the Mayo coast know of the dedication and professionalism of the Irish Coast Guard, who have provided assistance on many occasions to fishermen, seafarers and many others who have gotten into difficulty over the years.

'I want to pay tribute to the efforts of the Achill and Ballyglass Lifeboat Service and all other emergency services who are currently involved in the search. We can only imagine how difficult it must be to be involved in such a search especially when it involves colleagues of this vital service.

'As always it is heartening to see so many local vessel owners join in the search, a sign of the high esteem the people of Mayo hold the members of the Irish Coast Guard and all other emergency services.

'I hope that some comfort is taken from the massive community effort underway to find the remaining crew members.'

The search operation for the three other crew members of Rescue 116 is ongoing.

The Coast Guard helicopters on scene are being assisted in their search by the Air Corps Casa, RNLI boats, the Naval Services’s LE Róisín, garda divers and local fishing vessels.