Police identify air crash bodies

Apr 4 2009

Police have confirmed the identities of four of the eight men whose bodies were recovered from the North Sea helicopter crash.

Grampian Police said the bodies of Raymond Doyle, Stuart Wood, Warren Mitchell and Nairn Ferrier were among those found after the Super Puma aircraft went down off the Aberdeenshire coast on Wednesday.

A search for the eight remaining crew who died in the crash was stood down after the force said there was no hope of finding any survivors.

The aircraft was returning from BP's Miller oil platform when it crashed, killing its 14 passengers and two crew.

Accident investigators are at the scene, using specialist sonar equipment to try and locate the wreckage.

Mr Doyle, 57, of Cumbernauld and Mr Ferrier, 40, of Dundee, worked for drilling contractor KCA Deutag.

Mr Wood, 27, of Aberdeen, was an employee of Expro North Sea and Mr Mitchell, 38, of Oldmeldrum, Aberdeenshire, worked for Weatherford UK.

In a statement Grampian Police said: "Confirmation has been provided to the families of Raymond Doyle, Stuart Wood, Warren Mitchell and Nairn Ferrier, that they have been identified as being one of those recovered.

"We appreciate that this positive notification confirms sad news to the next of kin concerned and may also cause further uncertainty to the families and loved ones of the victims who remain unidentified."

The force added that its efforts to identify all the recovered bodies remained "of the highest priority".