Air Tragedy At Moorea
- September 4th, 2007
- Posted by EUEditor
The European Commission has paid tribute to two officials, Michel Gauche and Jean-Pierre Pierard, who died when a passenger aircraft crashed last month (10.8.07) at Moorea, Tahiti.
A dedication attached to its Pacific bulletin said they had given a substantial part of their lives to helping people and countries far away from Europe and less fortunate than themselves:
“Jean-Pierre Pierard, of Belgian nationality, was serving as interim Charge d’Affaires in the Regionalised Delegation of the EC for the French Overseas Territories, based in New Caledonia. He is survived by his wife Solange and two sons.
“Michel Gauche, French, was Head of Section in the Delegation of the EC for the Pacific, based in Fiji. He is survived by his wife Martine.
“Both men had spent some three years in the Pacific and they were looking forward to retirement in the not too distant future …
“At the time of their death they had inspected a water sanitation project in Moorea, funded by the European development Fund.”
The twenty people on board the Twin Otter aircraft, including also a couple from Victoria, lost their lives when it crashed on take-off, on a local flight.
Picture: EC – Tahitipresse
Images: News report on the tragedy from Moorea
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2q7gh_crash-air-moorea_events (4.9.07)