Tuesday 23 August 2016

GF072

16 years ago seems like yesterday. None of us will ever forget where we were when we heard the news. How ironic, and comforting, that we were all together as we waited to hear who was onboard. None of us will ever forget those chilling words: there were no survivors. How could we ever forget the days that followed? Stories from a colleague who had bravely joined the rescue team, diving into the water to look for survivors. A baby had been pulled out alive, he'd told us, only to sadly lose his life also a few moments later. How could we forget the weeks that followed? Everybody knew somebody aboard. A country, a people, an airline in mourning. Stories from a friend, bravely fighting back tears, as he told us how the Awal Ballroom had been made into an impromptu mortuary. Hundreds of bodies laid to rest awaiting identification from their families. Maybe we heard too much. How could we ever forget the months that followed? Whole families wracked with grief. And now years, 16 years, have passed... To our friends and colleagues that lost their lives that night, 23rd August 2000, and especially to their families and loved ones: GF072 will never forget you. Forever RIP xxx