This image shows the horrific aftermath of the bombing of AI Flight 182, an event which led to the death of all 329 occupants. The search and rescue operation undertaken after loosing contact with the plane contained multiple Irish civil and military services, as well as the USAF and the British RAF. 1
The scene of the crash was horrific:
Out at sea, the recovery of bodies and wreckage started. The LÉ Aisling, captained by Lieut. Commander Jim Robinson, a native of Ferrybank in Waterford, was the first naval vessel to reach the scene.
Robinson initially thought it might have been a Cessna. Nearly two hours later he was informed it was a Jumbo jet. The horror was clear when his vessel reached the scene.
“There were bodies everywhere. We could see as many as 20 bodies at a time. It was not the most pleasant experience,” he said. Robinson and three of his crew were later presented with the State’s second highest military honour, the Distinguished Service Medal.
Petty Officer Mossie Mahon from Cobh and Leading Seaman John McGrath from Salthill in Galway were decorated for diving into the sea where sharks were gathering to recover bodies without regard for their personal safety.
Able Seaman Terence Brown from Dublin, who operated a Gemini dinghy, which put to sea 14 times in search of bodies, was honoured for his seamanship in controlling the inflatable in the hazardous ocean over a long period which gave support and inspiration to his fellow crewmen. Brown later recalled: “The first body was of a little boy in a blue tracksuit. I can still picture his face; the image will remain with me forever.”
IrishExaminer: Air India disaster saw Cork’s emergency services rally to deal with the aftermath
A primary account of the recovery mission, from the perspective of the US Air Force Pararescueman, can be found here.
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Source Caption:
Irish soldiers carry one of the victims of the Air India jetliner which plummeted into the Atlantic off Ireland in Cork, Ireland, on Sunday, June 24, 1985. The jetliner crashed with 329 people aboard making it history’s third worst air disaster. (AP Photo/John Redman)
- Irish Examiner. “Air India Disaster Saw Cork’s Emergency Services Rally to Deal with the Aftermath,” July 27, 2021. https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/people/arid-40346423.html. ↩︎
