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Sydney seaplane: Tributes paid to family killed in crash | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Tributes have been paid to the UK family killed in a seaplane crash near Sydney on New Year's Eve. | |
Colleagues of Richard Cousins, 58, chief executive of one of the world's largest catering companies, Compass Group, described his "great humanity". | |
He died alongside his fiancée Emma Bowden, 48, her 11-year-old daughter Heather, and his sons, Edward, 23, and William, 25, a political campaigner. | |
Australian pilot Gareth Morgan, who also died, was known as "a gentle guy". | |
All six died when the seaplane - which belonged to a firm running sightseeing tours - plunged into a river 30 miles (50km) north of Sydney. | |
'Deeply shocked' | |
The family, from Tooting, in south-west London, were reportedly flying back to Sydney from an exclusive waterfront restaurant in Jerusalem Bay on New Year's Eve. | |
The crash happened in Hawkesbury River, near the suburb of Cowan, at about 15:10 local time (04:10 GMT) on Sunday, police said. | |
The cause is not yet known and investigators say it could be many months before they can piece together events. | |
Richard Cousins had been chief executive of the FTSE 100 firm Compass Group in Surrey since 2006 - and had been due to retire in September. | |
Compass chairman Paul Walsh said the firm was "deeply shocked and saddened". | |
"It has been a great privilege to know Richard personally and to work with him for the last few years," he said. | |
"Richard was known and respected for his great humanity and a no-nonsense style that transformed Compass into one of Britain's leading companies." | "Richard was known and respected for his great humanity and a no-nonsense style that transformed Compass into one of Britain's leading companies." |
Mr Cousins, a huge cricket fan, was a regular visitor to the Kia Oval in Kensington. | |
'Great heart' | |
His son, William Cousins, was head of press for Open Britain, which campaigns against a hard Brexit. | His son, William Cousins, was head of press for Open Britain, which campaigns against a hard Brexit. |
The group's chairman Roland Rudd said he was "an extraordinary young man who took deep pride in his work" and would be "missed beyond words". | The group's chairman Roland Rudd said he was "an extraordinary young man who took deep pride in his work" and would be "missed beyond words". |
Labour MP Chuka Umunna described William as "an absolute pleasure to work with, utterly dedicated to the cause, dynamic and full of enthusiasm". | |
"He went about things with great heart and humour," he added. | |
Fellow Labour MP Chris Leslie tweeted that William was an "exceptionally talented head of press" who would be deeply missed. | |
Family friend Jan Gleeson said Ms Bowden was "a beautiful and positive person" who "spread light and happiness among her friends and family". | |
Her daughter Heather, who was a great friend to Ms Gleeson's son, was "funny, lovely and always a pleasure to be with", she said. | |
"Richard was a lovely, lovely man and together they were all finding the happiness she had so long deserved," she added. | |
The single-engine aircraft belonged to sightseeing flight company Sydney Seaplanes, which offers scenic flights over local tourist attractions. | The single-engine aircraft belonged to sightseeing flight company Sydney Seaplanes, which offers scenic flights over local tourist attractions. |
Aaron Shaw, chief executive of the firm, described Mr Morgan, the pilot, as a "gentle guy". | Aaron Shaw, chief executive of the firm, described Mr Morgan, the pilot, as a "gentle guy". |
"Ringing his parents today was one of the worst calls I've had to make in my life," he said. | "Ringing his parents today was one of the worst calls I've had to make in my life," he said. |
He added that all flights had been suspended. | |
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said the sequence of events leading up to the accident were not yet understood. | |
Eyewitnesses said the aircraft turned sharply to the right shortly after taking off. | |
The plane then "sunk rapidly" after crashing into the river, ATSB said. | |
One eyewitness told a radio station he had watched from a houseboat as the plane nosedived. | |
He said he had dived in and tried unsuccessfully to open the fuselage door because the plane was sinking so quickly. | |
Police divers were flown to the scene and all six bodies were recovered on Sunday evening. | |
The UK Foreign Office said consular officials were in contact with local authorities and staff were "ready to provide consular assistance". | The UK Foreign Office said consular officials were in contact with local authorities and staff were "ready to provide consular assistance". |