'He just didn’t stop until he got her': Mother of Creeslough victim praises digger driver
Leona Harper was described as "a little gem, very outgoing, very friendly, a lovely person".
The father of 14-year-old Leona Harper, one of the victims of the Creeslough explosion, has described her as a “little gem” as the aunt of Jessica Gallagher — another victim — spoke of how she was to start a new job today.
Leona and Jessica, 24, were among the 10 people killed in the devastating explosion in Co. Donegal on Friday afternoon.
Leona's mother Donna was told her daughter might be on the way to hospital while she lay in the ruins of the Applegreen filling station last Friday.
Ms Harper told Highland Radio the 14-year-old, who was found after 24 hours, was the last person to be removed from the scene of the explosion.
She also thanked the driver who refused to give up trying to get her out until the very end.
“I didn’t personally know the digger driver — a massive thank you to him because he just didn’t stop until he got her,” she said.
“Twenty-four hours before we got her and she was the last taken out. The doctors and everything, everybody was amazing the way they treated the whole scene from start to finish with nothing more than respect.”
Leona's father, Hugh, paid an emotional tribute to his daughter describing her as a "little gem".
He said:
He said: “She was like everybody else's daughter but to us she was very special.
“She is going to be very sorely missed.”
Donna said: “We wouldn't know where to begin to thank everybody for everything they did before finally finding her.
“I was told that she was trapped under there.
“We were also told there was a big possibility she might be on her way to hospital.
“Everybody was accounted for in the hospital and then...then they had realised...and that's when we realised Leona didn't make it out.”
She said there was one man who, a stranger, who stuck with his daughter until she was eventually taken out of the ruins around her.
Meanwhile, the heartbroken aunt of Jessica Gallagher said the 24-year-old was due to start a new job today.
Also speaking to Highland Radio, Dolores Gallagher said Jessica was due to start work in Belfast as a fashion designer.
Ms Gallagher also spoke of the family bringing her remains home last night by moonlight.
“Jessica was, as her photographs show, the most beautiful young woman,” she said.
“She was very artistic. She qualified as a fashion designer. She was to finally start her job as a fashion designer today.
“Today was the day she was starting her new professional life as a fashion designer in Belfast.
“And she had just finished her first commission.”
She also said Jessica, whose funeral will be held in Creeslough on Tuesday at 11am, loved her village and life there.
“She was so proud of and had loved her locality,” she said.
“She loved Creeslough so much.
“When she was a student in Paris, one of her assignments was to work on something from home and she produced a beautiful picture of Muckish Mountain in the moonlight.”
Mrs Gallagher added: “We took her remains home yesterday in the moonlight.”
She also thanked everyone for their support of the Gallagher family.
“Neighbours have been unbelievably kind and generous with their offers of help,” she said.
And she praised the “tactful way” everyone has been so supportive.
These, she said, included “those other poor people who have been bereaved or have injured family members and loved ones and still managed to find the courage and strength to make contact to offer condolences”.
She added: “So, on behalf of the entire family, I'd like to thank everyone for that.”
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