Mourners choked back tears as they gathered to pay tribute to Southend pilot Philip Dearden whose helicopter plunged into the North Sea last month.
Family, friends and colleagues packed into St Mary's Baptist Church, Norwich, for the funeral of the 32-year-old.
The dad-of-two was co-pilot of the ill-fated Victor X-Ray helicopter which crashed off the Norfolk coast killing 11 people.
Mr Dearden worked as an engineer for Southend medical instruments firm KeyMed until he left to pursue a career in helicopters.
He had only recently moved from Manners Way, Southend, to Norwich to be near his new job with Bristow Helicopters.
Emotions ran high during the ceremony as touching tributes were paid to Mr Dearden, who leaves behind a wife Liz and two sons, four-year-old Jack and 20-month-old Owen.
His wife Liz said: "He was a fabulous husband and father as well as a great friend to everyone that knew him."
Published Monday August 12, 2002
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