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Co-Pilot

Body recovered from Rescue 116 wreckage identified as Captain Mark Duffy

The Coast Guard member’s body was recovered from the wreckage and brought ashore today.

Updated at 15.30

THE BODY OF a missing crew member recovered from the wreckage of Rescue 116 today has been identified as Captain Mark Duffy, gardaí confirmed.

1 Mark Duffy_90505424 Captain Mark Duffy. Eamonn Farrell / RollingNews.ie Eamonn Farrell / RollingNews.ie / RollingNews.ie

Earlier in the week a body was found in the wreckage of the Coast Guard helicopter, but recovery efforts were postponed due to bad weather conditions.

The remaining missing crew members are winch operator Paul Ormsby and winchman Ciarán Smith.

The crew members have been missing since the Sikorsky S92 helicopter disappeared on its way to refuel at Blacksod lighthouse on 13 March.

Captain Dara Fitzpatrick was recovered from the sea and died later in hospital. She was buried last weekend.

The black box flight recorder has been recovered from the wreckage and has been sent to the UK to have its contents downloaded and analysed.

It’s hoped the black box will reveal what caused Rescue 116 to go down.

Captain Mark Duffy

Chief Pilot Captain Mark Duffy became a volunteer with the Irish Coast Guard more than 15 years ago.

From Blackrock, Co Louth he had trained to be a pilot in the US and worked for several years with the California Coast Guard. He had worked as a pilot for businessman Declan Ganley.

He began flying Coast Guard missions in 2002, calling the opportunity his “dream job”.

The 51-year-old is survived by his wife Hermione and two children.

Read: Hopes that dives to wreckage of Rescue 116 can begin today

Read: Underwater device with cameras and grabbers used in search for Rescue 116

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