Father angry at 'slow' pub rescue bid in Glasgow
The family of a man who has been missing since a police helicopter crashed through the roof of a pub have criticised the speed of the rescue operation.
Mark O’Prey has not been seen since the aircraft came down on the Clutha Vaults bar in Glasgow on Friday night.
His father Ian said he believed the recovery of the helicopter was taking precedence over removing bodies from the wreckage, as police confimed a ninth victim was found within the pub last night.
Five of the those killed have been named, with Samuel McGhee, 56, of Glasgow, formally identified early this morning.
Mr O’Prey told BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme: “I think it’s taking far too long. Any chance they had is diminishing as the hours go by and we don’t know, are they going to get them out today?
“I thought if they’d made a better attempt on the Saturday night, I thought they perhaps could have got them out a lot earlier than they did but I think they were more concerned about this helicopter.
“I don’t know but I feel it could have been done better. Communication was dreadful. I’m sure they could have got the bodies out quicker.”
Mark’s sister Louise said: “We just need to know. It’s too long now, really.
“We just feel as a family that the priority is given to the integrity and keeping that helicopter intact, which is no use to us.”
Pilot David Traill, 51, died along with officers Kirsty Nelis, 36, and Tony Collins, 43, as they returned in the aircraft from a police operation.
Both constables were members of the helicopter unit and had previously been commended for acts of bravery, Police Scotland chief constable Sir Stephen House said.
The daughter of 48-year-old Gary Arthur from Paisley, who was inside the pub, paid tribute to her father, writing on Twitter: ”You’ll always mean the world to me.”
Four other victims who were in the busy bar have not yet been formally identified, but John McGarrigle, 38, said a witness told him that his father, also John McGarrigle, 59, was also killed.
Police have not ruled out the possibility that more bodies could be recovered from the wreckage.
Rescuers are still at the scene and the painstaking task of removing the remains of the helicopter is under way.
