United In Grief, Whyalla Mourns
The Age
Monday June 12, 2000
WHYALLA
Eight handmade candles, each bearing a single name, were lit on the Whyalla foreshore yesterday by families grieving for those who died at sea in one of South Australia's worst air disasters.
About 4000 people from Whyalla gathered near the Whyalla Sea Rescue Squadron, headquarters of a massive sea and air search that began 10 days ago and is still not over, for a remembrance service attended by South Australian Premier John Olsen. Mr Olsen's cousin, Peter Olsen, and his wife Wendy were among those who died in the disaster.
Whyalla Mayor John Smith said nothing had touched the community as deeply as the terrible news that Whyalla Airlines flight 904 from Adelaide to Whyalla had gone down.
``Everyone here today knows of, or knows someone, who was on the aircraft," Mr Smith said.
Bodies of seven of the eight victims were retrieved from the sea last week and community support was offered to Marie Schuppan, whose husband Chris Schuppan has still not been found.
Mr Smith said one of the Schuppan's daughters, Emma, had celebrated her 10th birthday last Thursday at the squadron headquarters.
He said she had told him she received wonderful presents, but what she treasured most was a picture of her father.
Whyalla had not given up hope of retrieving Mr Schuppan's body, Mr Smith said.
``We can assure the relatives and the next of kin we will be back until we exhaust all avenues," Mr Smith said. ``Our hearts go out to that particular family."
The owner of Whyalla Airlines, Chris Brougham, stood grief-stricken in the crowd as Mr Smith offered his family and its airline the community's special support.
Mr Brougham and his brother Kym, the airline's chief pilot, lost their father, Trevor Brougham, who founded the airline, in a plane crash 20 years ago near Port Lincoln.
``This has been a great personal tragedy to them," Mr Smith said.
He said messages of support had come in from the whole of the Eyre Peninsula expressing appreciation for the airline's service.
``They want Whyalla Airlines back as I am sure we as a Whyalla community want Whyalla Airlines back," Mr Smith said.
He said he understood it was hard for some people to say Whyalla Airlines should be flying again, but the community wanted it back.
The service was a memorial for those who died and a chance to give public thanks to emergency service crews, including police divers who made 50 dives to the seabed searching for the plane, and after the plane wreckage was found, examining the wreckage and removing bodies.
Absent from the service was Whyalla Chief Inspector Terry Harbour, who ran police operations for almost 10 days and was too emotionally drained to attend.
Mr Olsen told the service adversity could bring out the best in people and Whyalla had instinctively given support and concern for the families affected.
He also commended Whyalla for the willingness it was showing not to prejudge the airline or its staff.
``Words cannot change things," Mr Olsen said. ``Actions, however, your actions, have given comfort to the families."
Wreaths presented by the families at the start of service were to be laid at sea today at the place, 10kilometres from Whyalla, where the Piper Chieftain twin-engine aircraft went down.
The family of Sydney union official, Neil Marshall, who was flying to Whyalla on Australian Workers Union business, laid his wreath at sea after yesterday's service.
© 2000 The Age
