The announcement was like the opening of an old
wound. Last Thursday the Accident Investigation Bureau released the names of
passengers and crew members on board the Bristow Helicopters’ chopper that
crashed into a Lagos lagoon on Wednesday, August 12.
There were six survivors and six victims.
The victims were: Chukwuma Erise, Chidi Ukwunta,
Ita Ekpeyong, Chris Abua, Captain Captain Joseph “Jay” Wyatt and
co-pilot Peter Kayode Bello.
The survivors were: Joshua Emekeme, Dolu
Ebiejuara, Onoriode Onojete, Solomon Udeh, Iniala Opaimi, and Chukwudi Onah.
Families and friends of the deceased persons are
still grieving for their loved ones.
For Bristow Helicopter pilot, Captain, Joseph “Jay”
Wyatt, his friends and family members have since established the ‘Captain Jay
Wyatt Memorial Fund’ to assist in providing for his family in the future.
As at Friday, August 21, using the gofundme.com
platform, the family of the late Bristow Helicopter Captain, Joseph “Jay” Wyatt
of Oklahoma, US, had raised over $20,795 for the deceased. About 146 people
contributed the sum in five days.
Wyatt, an experienced pilot, is survived by a
wife and three beautiful daughters aged 10, seven and five.
One Folake wrote, “Thank you for your service,
Jay Wyatt.” She donated $25.
Another, Michael and Kate Clarke, who donated
$500, said, “Rest in Peace. God bless Christina and your girls.”
Hyla, Vicki and Oliver Breese, from Australia,
donated $200, and said, “Christina, Cheyenne, Haley and Regan. So sorry that
Jay/dad had to leave you. I last spoke with Jay some nine years ago at HAI in
Florida when we were instructors there. Some time has passed for sure; however,
I still remember him to this day and remember he had a kind heart. Although of
little comfort, we just wanted to let you know we are thinking of you all.”
Anton Burtscher said, “It has been such a
pleasure to know you and have flown with you. A great man, family man and
friend. I will truly miss you.” He donated $200.
Last week, Samantha Wyatt, a sister to the late
Wyatt, had vented her frustration over the non-release of the bodies of Wyatt
and Bello by the coroner, until the Lagos State government took action.
In the same vein, family and friends of the late
Bristow co-pilot, 26-year-old Peter Bello, have also poured out their grief
online, on their social media accounts.
“Junior Junior!!!!! Gone too soon! Just to think
I saw you only a night before! #bristowcrash,” wrote one Lorye@missleeky10 on
August 13, a day after the crash.
A service of songs was held for the late Bello on
August 17, in Lagos. Again, on Thursday, the family held a funeral mass for the
deceased in Calabar, Cross River State, however, without the corpse.
“We thank God that in the last 26 years, we
shared wonderful times with you. We thank God for your life and all it meant to
us. We can only live with these memories,” the father of the late Bello had
said during the service.
Similarly, friends of other victims of the
helicopter crash shared their grief on Facebook.
One Sidney Onwuka, who said he was a colleague to
Chidi Ukwunta, Chris Abua, Ita Ekpenyong, and Chukwuma Erise, who all died in
the crash, simply wrote on his Facebook wall, “Rest in Peace.”
Last Friday, Eboh Monday, a friend to Ukwunta
wrote on Facebook, “Very painful loss indeed. I worked with Chidi on
SX12 in 2001 and he was in the team that travelled all the way from Phc (sic)
to Kogi to attend my wedding. May the good Lord grant their soul a peaceful
rest in his bossom.”
Also, on August 14, a day after the crash, one
Sunny Ntia wrote on his Facebook wall, “With heavy heart this morning,
I lost four (4) of my colleagues in Bristow Helicopter that crashed on Tuesday,
may their souls rest in peace, Amen, Now, I’m about entering another Helicopter
back home, God I’m in your hands protect me and my colleagues as we will fly
today in Jesus name, Amen.”
Ekpenyong, from his last Facebook posts,
appeared to be a dotting husband and father, a Chelsea football supporter, as
well as a Peoples Democratic Party faithful. On July 3, he wished his wife a
happy birthday: “HBD to my wife, friend, confidant, mother of my children, and
personal assistant on all matters. I thank the good Lord for adding another
year to your life. I have every cause to celebrate you today as you have
fulfilled all God’s words concerning a good wife. May His blessings continue to
be upon your life. May He give you long life and prosper you all round,
celebration will never end in your house.”
Also, on July 27, he had written, “The rain
stopped my exercise today, so I decided to teach my son some table tennis
lessons!!” He posted a picture of him playing table tennis with his grown-up
son.
One of Ekpeyong’s close friends, Don Gabaluchi,
wrote, on August 14, “I don’t care what people have been saying. For me you are
still alive.”
On the same day, Ekpenyong’s wife, Ukeme Okokon,
drew strength from her Christian faith.
She wrote, “God will make a way where there seems
to be no way, he walks in ways we cannot see he will make a way for me he will
be my guide hold me closely to his side with love and strength for each new day
he will make a way for me.” (sic)
Her Facebook post drew a torrent of
sympathy and shared grief.
One of her friends, Emem Iyoho, replied, “Yes he
will my friend. Our God has promised to be a husband to the widow and a father
to the fatherless, he will stand by you, give u strength and be your guide.
Don’t lose faith in him but believe that he will do what he said he will do.
You are not alone my dear sister and friend.”
Last Friday, August 21, another of her friend,
Emem Ikpe, wrote, “Just can’t comprehend, but I ask God to pls comfort you and
cover you n your kids with his wings….Accept my sympathy..mmmmmmm, it’s
well.”(sic)
The last post that could be accessed on the late
Chris Abua’s Facebook was on April 22, when he updated his profile
picture. He was said to have lived in Aberdeen and worked at Transocean
Drilling Company.
“Gone so soon through the ill fated Bristow
Helicopter crash last week Wednesday 12th August, 2015 in Lagos Lagoon. Our
hearts and prayers go to the lovely families left behind.
“We cannot question God. Why? May their souls
continue to rest in the bossom of the Almighty God. Adieu friends RIP.”(sic),
one Elijah O. Ovuema wrote on his Facebook wall last Friday.
Underneath his post were the pictures of Abua,
Ekpeyong, and two others.
Some of their friends also expressed their fear
for flying after the crash.
“Rest in perfect peace dear colleagues! Still
finding how to relate the death to your family. We will always remember
15:45gmt 12th August. Though you are gone, but phobia for flight has been
created. Be assured that we will always pray for your family,” Osarogie Ayela
wrote.
Survivors
Unlike Bello, Wyatt, Ukwunta, Abua, Erise and
Ekpenyong, the other six swam through the valley of the shadow of death, and by
a stroke of fate, luckily survived.
On Onoriode Onojete’s Facebook wall,
friends and loved ones expressed confusion over his whereabouts, following the
AIB release of the names of passengers and crew members on board the Bristow
crash.
A friend, Teria Donatus, wrote, last Friday,
“Hello Guys please can anyone give me update of this our friend, Onoriode
Onojete, saw his name among the names of the Bristow Helicopter crash…. Niger
Delta University ladies/guys any news will help… God Bless.”
Until others posted update to assure the worried
ones about his surviving the crash, and his safety.
According to his Facebook, Warri-born
Onojete works at Transocean, studied at University of Sunderland, UK, and got
married December 2013. He lives in Newcastle. Although he reportedly sustained
a leg injury, Onojete is said to be recuperating at a Lagos hospital.
Another survivor, Joshua Emekeme, also works at
Transocean as a FEC operator. He is married with two kids. Emekeme is also
friends with the late Abua.
The other survivors are Iniala Opaimi, Dolu
Ebiejuara, Solomon Udeh and Chukwudi Onah.
Source:Punch
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