VIDEO: Navy wife reveals pride at husband’s mission

The wife of a LÉ Eithne crew member has described him and his colleagues as heroes in an emotional email posted to Facebook post.

The unidentified mother of three said she wanted to share her feelings about how the crew have “been blown away” by their life-saving exploits in the Mediterranean Sea.

To date, the ship’s crew have saved the lives of more than 1,000 migrants — it left the Italian port of Taranto yesterday, after dropping off 399 migrants, and was steaming back to her area of operations between Sicily and North Africa.

“I married into the life of a sailor,” she wrote. “I knew that times may be hard. I knew that I would be lonely and have to be mum and dad at times. I knew that this would test us as a couple… but what I did not know was that I could ever feel as much pride than I do right now of my amazing husband. He may be part of the wonderful LE Eithne crew, to us he is our hero.

“From the first rescue, we have been blown away. Those long-standing Irish navy jokes will be quietened for a while to come.

“These guys are amazing. The whole country should be so proud of them. Our small nation with the big heart. They are taking on a worldly mission and doing it flawlessly.”

In the email to radio station 96FM, the woman said that while her husband was gone a little over three weeks, she and his children miss him terribly.

“We have mapped his trip on the kitchen wall. The kids miss him terribly and of course I’m lonely. The crew are only allowed a few minutes a week on the phone which is precious.”