Family remember helicopter victim

Richard Darnell: Killed with three other crewmen

The family of Royal Navy winchman Richard Darnell have paid tribute to a "larger-than-life character".

Leading Air Mechanic Darnell, 31, was one of four aircrew who died when their helicopter crashed off the Cornish coast on Wednesday last week.

They were Lt Dave Cole, 34, from Dorset; Lt Rob Dunn, 29, from Dorset; Lt Jamie Mitchell, 29, from Dundee, and LAEM Darnell, from Torquay.

Inquiries are continuing into how the Royal Navy Lynx helicopter crashed.

The four were found on Thursday after the aircraft disappeared on a search mission 20 miles (32km) off Cornwall.

LAEM Darnell, from Torquay, was the longest-serving member of RNAS Yeovilton-based 229 Flight, having joined it in November 2001.

In 1998 he was honoured for bravery with the Boyd Trophy.

He also played a key role in several boarding operations in the Arabian Gulf.

His family said in a "To quote many of his friends, 'he lived life to the max'. He was the epitome of what a sailor should be, he worked hard and played hard.

"Richard was a dedicated family man and loving son to Kevin and Carole and deeply loved brother to Kim. He was a soul mate to his fiancée Nickie and a true loyal friend to so many.

"The world is a lesser place without him and we can't measure how much he will be missed. His family have lost their sunshine."