Staff at Miri Hospital bid farewell to colleagues killed in Long Lellang FDS helicopter crash

Miri Hospital staff gathered on September 14 to bid farewell to three of their colleagues who lost their lives in the Flying Doctor Service helicopter crash in Long Lellang the previous Tuesday. The somber mood began in the hospital's multi-faith room before the group moved to Block B to say their final goodbyes.

Nurse Debra Moset, 40, whose remains arrived at Miri Hospital around 7:23am, was the first to be honored. Her body was later transported by plane to Kuching International Airport. Medical assistant Alexson Adit Henry, 31, and nurse Jessie Paya Jok, also 30, had their remains brought out of the mortuary earlier that morning and later that afternoon, respectively.

Jessie's husband, Larry Bilong Kule, expressed gratitude for the support the family received, acknowledging that "only God could repay their kindness." He lamented that Jessie's dream of pursuing further studies next year would never come true, as her matron had encouraged her to do so. Jessie's funeral was held at Lambir that day, starting at 3pm, while Alexson is set to be buried at the Anglican Cemetery in Lambir, and Jessie at the Borneo Evangelical Mission cemetery, also in Lambir.

The helicopter's pilot, Capt Zainol Afiq Bee Sham, 30, and medical officer Dr Ainul Baraah Kamaruddin, 33, had their remains flown to Peninsular Malaysia and subsequently handed over to their families. The loss of these five lives deeply impacted their fellow health workers, many of whom had worked alongside the victims in the same workplace.