MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Falklands Veteran dies in drowning tragedy
Tributes have been paid in the United Kingdom and in the Falkland Islands to a hero of the 1982 conflict who has drowned while attempting to rescue his wife and child in a boating tragedy while on holiday in Cyprus.
Peter Rainey, aged 49, a helicopter pilot and night goggles expert flew throughout the 1982 Falklands War. Having survived dangerous missions in the Falklands War, Peter Rainey died on what had been an idyllic sunshine holiday from which they were due to return home next day. He was on a beach near the popular Cypriot resort of Paphos and saw his wife and nine-year-old son thrown from their rubber dinghy when it capsized in high winds and rough seas. He dived into the surging water, swam 100 metres to his struggling family, righted the dinghy and got them all aboard. But as they struggled to get back to the shore, it capsized again. All three were plucked from the sea by holidaymakers who had commandeered a fishing boat.
But both parents died before reaching hospital, where their son, Callum, was reported to be in a serious condition but is recovering. None of them was wearing a life-jacket. The couple's seven-year-old daughter, Catriona, watched the tragedy unfold from the beach. This part of the west coast of Cyprus has strong undercurrents as well as windy weather.
Falklands Councillor' tribute for vital war role Councillor Roger Edwards, who served in the Royal Navy, remembers Peter Rainey in 1982 at a British military base, Boscombe Down, from where he was posted to the United States to acquire expertise in the use of night vision goggles then trained naval commando pilots on their use.
Councillor Edwards paid this tribute to him: "Peter Rainey was instrumental in the recovery of the Falkland Islands. Without him, we would never have been able to carry out all the covert raids on Argentine positions including the raid on Pebble Island" (a daring and highly successful SAS operation which destroyed several Argentine aircraft).
Mr Rainey, who came originally from New Zealand, lived in Dollar in Scotland, and ran two companies, Highland Ventures Limited and Highland Aerosystems, specialising in night goggles and helicopter equipment. Mrs Rainey was an electronics engineer.
Peter Rainey joined the Royal Navy on leaving school. After leaving the Navy in 1985, he went to Oman, flying for the Royal Oman Police Force, and later worked for Ferranti electronics firm in Edinburgh.
Many tributes were paid to them in Scotland as a popular, outgoing couple, who loved outdoor pursuits, and had two clever children, who both attended Dollar Academy and the local Sunday school.
Harold Briley, (MP) London
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