Hundreds share their grief 20 years after Piper Alpha disaster claimed 167 lives
Lone piper plays haunting lament as family and friends of oil workers mark grim anniversary
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A lone piper provided a moving soundtrack for what was an emotionally charged ceremony shared by hundreds of grieving loved ones of those who perished on Piper Alpha.
Following an earlier service in the Kirk of St Nicholas around 400 people gathered in the city’s Hazlehead Park despite an overcast Aberdeen sky.
There, chaplain to the oil and gas industry the Rev Andrew Jolly addressed the crowd as he stood in front of the Piper Alpha memorial sculpture depicting three oil workers.
He read a prayer of remembrance saying: “Let us remember before God, and commend to his safe keeping those who died in the Piper Alpha disaster; those whom we knew and whose memory we treasure.”
Mr Jolly and the Rev Fred Coutts, head of spiritual care for NHS Grampian, then read aloud the names of the 167 who died 20 years ago.
One of those names was Orkney man Alan Miller, 31, whose body was recovered from the platform’s accommodation block.
Mr Miller’s colleague 20 years ago was Ian Cukrowski, who was onshore at the time of the tragedy. He joined the crowds at Hazlehead Park.
The 50-year-old, who worked along with Mr Miller as a chemist on board the platform, recalls the moment he woke to discover 50 of his friends had been killed.
“I worked on Piper Alpha for two-and-half-years on a two-weeks-on, two-weeks-off basis and was onshore at the time of the disaster.
“Alan was my back-to-back and was unfortunately offshore. He was on the day shift so was in his bed in the accommodation block when it happened.
“I remember just waking up the day after to find out my place of work and 50 of my friends had gone. But I knew a lot more of those who died.”
Mr Cukrowski, of Riverbank Terrace, Aberdeen, left the oil and gas industry eight months after the tragedy before opening MacBeans, a coffee and tea specialist based in the city’s Little Belmont Street.
He added: “It has been a very moving day. I’m glad they read out all of the names. I come down to the Hazlehead Park statue at 10am every year on the 6th of July to pay my respects.”
Closing yesterday’s proceedings in the park, the lone piper played a haunting lament, The Flowers of the Forest, and many of the crowd stood with their heads bowed. Some wept.
Wreaths were then laid by First Minister Alex Salmond and Aberdeen Lord Provost Peter Stephen before members of the public were invited to lay their own floral tributes.
One read: “20 years you’ve been away, still think of you every day. A tragedy so very sad, the loss of such a brilliant dad.”
A wreath was laid by the crew of the Piper Bravo who wrote: “In our thoughts on this day.”
Another message simply said: “Dad, miss you every day.”
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