Copter tragedy: Remains of Joanna Felicia to be laid to rest today

SERIAN: The body of Able Seaman I Joanna Felicia Rohna, 26, who perished in the mid-air collision and crash of two navy helicopters in Lumut on Tuesday (April 23), will be buried in Kampung Engkeroh Tebakang near here at 9am on Thursday (April 25).

The burial rites, which would be carried out according to navy tradition, would take place at the Kampung Engkaroh Tebakang Christian cemetery.

Earlier, the air force C-130 aircraft carrying Joanna’s remains arrived at the Kuching air base from Ipoh, Perak, at 11.54pm on Wednesday (April 24).

The body was then brought to Kampung Engkaroh Tebakang and at arrived at the village at about 2.08am on Thursday.

A sombre atmosphere enveloped the late Joanna’s family home in the village, where family members had gathered as early as 5pm on Wednesday to wait for the arrival of the body and pay their final respects.

"Never did I expect that this meeting would be our last. She had promised to meet us upon her return for the Gawai celebration...but who would have thought the meeting would end up like this," said one of her closest relatives, Richard Jiubat Bluka, 26.

The crash involving a Maritime Operations Helicopter (HOM-AW139) and a Fennec (M502-6) aircraft at 9.32 am during fly-past training in conjunction with TLDM’s 90th anniversary, scheduled early next month, killed 10 navy officers and personnel, including Joanna. - Bernama