Tributes to former Royal Navy diver killed trying to save lives
Tributes have been paid to a former Royal Navy diver who died in a landmine explosion in Sudan.
Stephen Allan, known as Darby, was critically injured in an explosion while clearing mines near the town of Kapoeta.
The 52-year-old married father-of-two, from Portsmouth, died several hours later, his employers, the Mines Advisory Group (MAG), said.
Chief Petty Officer Diver Allan, a veteran of the first Gulf War, was chief instructor for the Royal Navy Clearance Diving Officers courses at Horsea Island before joining MAG, a not-for profit organisation, in 2006.
He had been based in war-torn Sudan since September 2009 and was leading teams of trained Sudanese mine clearance operatives in Kapoeta when he died last Friday. The circumstances of his death are being investigated by the United Nations.
Lieutenant Commander Mick Beale, diving standards officer at Horsea Island, paid tribute to CPO(D) Allan.
He said: 'He was a hugely experienced diver who was an inspiration and a true legend in the diving branch - he was a big man with a big heart who could always be relied on to get the job done with no fuss.
'Darby will be sorely missed by us all but his stories gathered from many years of diving will live on forever. Out thoughts and sincere condolences go to his family at this sad time.'
For the last four years, CPO(D) Allan had led mine clearance teams in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lebanon and then Sudan for MAG. He was away from his family for long periods, often working in very challenging conditions.
Since his death MAG has received tributes to his professionalism, good humour and courage from all over the world, with messages praising the lifesaving legacy of Darby's work sent from the British Embassy in Sudan and UN headquarters in New York.
MAG's chief executive Lou McGrath said everyone at the organisation was shocked and saddened by his death.
He added: 'We are now focusing all our efforts on providing whatever support we can to his family and loved ones.
'There is no doubt that over the last four years Darby's work with MAG has saved countless people's lives, and for that we will never forget him.'
HUMANITARIAN HERO HELPED SAVE THOUSANDS OF LIVES WORLDWIDE
Chief Petty Officer Diver Stephen 'Darby' Allan had more than 30 years' experience and was highly commended as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) expert in the Royal Navy before joining Mines Advisory Group (MAG) in 2006.
CPO(D) Allan travelled all over the world, specialising in underwater and shoreline clearance as well as safe disposal of lethal remnants of conflict.
His experience included active duty during the first Gulf War acting as Chief of the Fleet Diving Unit deployed to Kuwait to clear the city's harbour, beaches and surrounding terrain of thousands of explosives.
His service in the navy also included a six-year posting to Hong Kong from 1991 to 1997 as part of the search and rescue team, involved with the rescue and salvage following marine and diving accidents.
In 2002, he moved to the Defence Diving School at Horsea Island as an EOD specialist and trainer, becoming Chief Instructor for the Royal Navy Clearance Diving Officers courses in 2003.
He left the navy to join MAG as a technical field manager in October 2006. He was deployed to the Democratic Republic of Congo, where over a period of two years he was involved in many life-saving clearance projects – including the underwater removal of 18 items of unexploded ordnance and more than 17,000 items of small arms ammunition found in Mbandaka Harbour.
He was subsequently moved to MAG's Lebanon operation, leading teams of national staff members in the clearance of unexploded cluster munitions. Since September 2009, he had been living in Sudan overseeing the removal of landmines that still threaten communities in and around the town of Kapoeta every day. During fighting there, a huge barrier minefield was laid all around Kapoeta, according to the Mines Advisory Group.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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