Community / ‘It runs in my blood’ – three from one family fly with Sumburgh rescue crew
A REMARKABLE Sumburgh legacy added a new chapter last week, after a third member of the Murray family joined the search and rescue helicopter crew from the base.
Stornoway-based Si Murray completed a famous family hat-trick after stepping into the cockpit of the Sumburgh S-92 aircraft, following in the footsteps of his uncle and his cousin to become the third Murray member on a search and rescue operation from Shetland.
The story stretches back more than four decades, with Si’s uncle Kieran Murray (senior) flying for Bristow at Sumburgh in the early 1980s as a winchman and winch operator on the much-loved Oscar Charlie.
His son Kieran Murray (junior) – Si’s cousin – then continued the tradition, flying from Sumburgh as a helicopter pilot.
And last week Si, who has more than 20 years of service at Bristow, finally made it a terrific treble for the Murray family when he was asked to step in and fly the S-92 helicopter at Sumburgh.
There was one final link between the three – on the flight Si piloted his winch operator was John Thomson, who has now flown with all three Murray family members.
“Kieran and I were really close as children and he always said he wanted to become a pilot, flying in a search and rescue helicopter like his dad, and that’s exactly what he did,” Si said.
“I didn’t have the same goal as a kid, but after a career in the military I switched and joined Bristow as an oil and gas pilot in Aberdeen.
“It became something of a standing joke in the family, when would I move to flying search and rescue?”
Si said he volunteered in mountain rescue while based in Stornoway, and would even see his cousin Kieran flying the helicopter on occasion.
But after switching to flying search and rescue helicopters last year, Si finally had the chance last week to complete the family hat-trick.
“I always knew an opportunity would come for me to complete the picture of all three of us flying at Sumburgh one day, and last week it finally happened,” he said. “It was a great moment. It actually means a lot for our family and we’ve all had a good laugh about it together.
“And, while I’m not continuing to operate from Shetland, I know I’ll continue working in Bristow search and rescue for years to come – it’s a job like no other, and clearly runs in my blood.”
Bristow UK search and rescue director Graham Hamilton said the Murrays were an example of the family spirit at the company.
He added: “I’m pleased Si has been able to complete this chapter for his family and for Bristow, it’s an honour to have them as part of our team.”
Become a member of Shetland News
Shetland News is asking its readers to consider paying for membership to get additional perks:
- Removal of third-party ads;
- Bookmark posts to read later;
- Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
- Hide membership messages;
- Comments open for discussion.
If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.
Already a member? Sign in to hide this message.
