Air Corps crew to get posthumous honours

THE families of four Air Corps men killed in a helicopter crash will today be awarded distinguished service medals, nine years after the crew lost their lives during a rescue mission.

Relatives of the crew of Dauphin 248 will be presented with Distinguished Service Medals (DSMs) following years of lobbying over the worst accident in the Air Corps’ history.

Servicemen, Capt Dave O’Flaherty, Capt Michael Baker, Sgt Paddy Mooney and Cpl Niall Byrne were returning from their maiden rescue mission off the Waterford Coast on the night of July 2, 1999, when their Dauphin helicopter crashed into a sand dune in fog.

The decision to award the highest posthumous military honour, follows years of lobbying by the bereaved families.

It is believed the family of Capt Michael Baker may not attend today’s awards at Baldonnel in protest over disputed comments allegedly made by Defence Minister Willie O’Dea.

The awards were decided by a Defence Force’s medals board and the crew are receiving the honours posthumously “for displaying outstanding qualities of bravery, devotion to duty … while remaining on station over a stricken vessel in hazardous conditions.”

An official investigation into the crash found serious deficiencies in support given to the crew, with no after-hours air traffic control being provided.

Liability was conceded by the Government in a 2003 High Court case, in which €1.1 million plus costs was awarded to the widow of Capt Dave O’Flaherty.