Nine confirmed dead and named in Clutha crash

Police confirmed last night (2nd December) that there were a total of nine fatalities in the Clutha Vaults pub helicopter crash. The Clutha customers who died were named as Robert Jenkins, 61 and Mark O’Prey, 44, both from East Kilbride in South Lanarkshire, 33-year-old Colin Gibson of Ayr, South Ayrshire, and John McGarrigle, 57, from Cumbernauld in North Lanarkshire, 48-year-old Gary Arthur, from Paisley, as well as Samuel McGhee, 56, of Glasgow. They perished alongside the two police officers and pilot of the helicopter.

The pub, which is owned by Saverio Giovanni Petri, who was injured in the accident,  and Alan Crossan,  was decimated in the crash, and it remains the site on an ongoing investigation.

Police Scotland deputy chief constable Rose Fitzpatrick said, “This has been a difficult and complex operation which has involved painstaking work and the skills of specialist personnel from across the emergency services. I would like to thank all those involved for their professionalism and respect with which they conducted this operation.

“I would also like to thank all those who have passed on their messages of sympathy and support. This continues to be of great comfort.

“The management of the incident has now been handed over to Glasgow City Council. The Police Scotland investigation, led by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), and the inquiry by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) both continue.”

Eleven people are still in hospital. Glasgow City Council have already pledged to help anyone who suffers financial hardship as a result of the crash, and various fundraising activities are taking place across Scotland, with many of them organised by other members of the Scottish licensed trade.