FATHER TELLS OF AGONY IN SEARCH FOR LOST SON (21)
Father tells of agony in search for lost son (21)
by DOMINIC CUNNINGHAM
A HEART-rending account of the desperate search to find his missing 21-year-old son was given yesterday by distraught Omagh father, Michael Gallagher.
Mr Gallagher wept openly as he explained how he returned home in the early hours of Sunday morning to break the dreadful news to his wife and daughters - but they knew when he opened the door that the worst had happened.
"My wife was in the hall when I came in and the girls were there and I really did not have to say anything . They knew, they knew, It was over," Mr Gallagher said.
His search for Adrian began in the minutes following the huge explosion that mercilessly cut down elderly women, babies, a pregnant woman and young students.
As Mr Gallagher arrived at the Tyrone County Hospital ambulances were already ferrying the dead and injured to the complex.
WAR ZONE
"It was the worst thing anyone could ever want to see. The thought went through my mind that it was like a war zone because there were people lying around on blankets who were very seriously hurt and they weren't being attended to because there were others probably more serious," Mr Gallagher recalled.
"I went from ward to ward and everyone seemed to be confused. The amount of blood was unbelievable.
There were bandages lying everywhere and towels and blankets covered in blood," he added.
Like scores of other anxious relatives Mr Gallagher scoured the lists of injured in the hope that he would find the name of his missing son.
His agony continued until around 3.30 on Sunday morning when he and a number of other people were taken to the temporary morgue that had been set up at Lisanelly army base.
"I wanted to be with my family because I knew that they had suffered what I had suffered. When I got to the gate of the camp I felt I could get out and run because I wanted to be here. I really wanted to be here," Mr Gallagher said.
He described Adrian as "a pretty average boy" who he said had been brought up to respect other people and their property.
"What makes me so sad is that someone out there did not do the same thing for their family and because they did not, my family and 200 other families in Omagh are suffering today," Mr Gallagher added.
by DOMINIC CUNNINGHAM
A HEART-rending account of the desperate search to find his missing 21-year-old son was given yesterday by distraught Omagh father, Michael Gallagher.
Mr Gallagher wept openly as he explained how he returned home in the early hours of Sunday morning to break the dreadful news to his wife and daughters - but they knew when he opened the door that the worst had happened.
"My wife was in the hall when I came in and the girls were there and I really did not have to say anything . They knew, they knew, It was over," Mr Gallagher said.
His search for Adrian began in the minutes following the huge explosion that mercilessly cut down elderly women, babies, a pregnant woman and young students.
As Mr Gallagher arrived at the Tyrone County Hospital ambulances were already ferrying the dead and injured to the complex.
WAR ZONE
"It was the worst thing anyone could ever want to see. The thought went through my mind that it was like a war zone because there were people lying around on blankets who were very seriously hurt and they weren't being attended to because there were others probably more serious," Mr Gallagher recalled.
"I went from ward to ward and everyone seemed to be confused. The amount of blood was unbelievable.
There were bandages lying everywhere and towels and blankets covered in blood," he added.
Like scores of other anxious relatives Mr Gallagher scoured the lists of injured in the hope that he would find the name of his missing son.
His agony continued until around 3.30 on Sunday morning when he and a number of other people were taken to the temporary morgue that had been set up at Lisanelly army base.
"I wanted to be with my family because I knew that they had suffered what I had suffered. When I got to the gate of the camp I felt I could get out and run because I wanted to be here. I really wanted to be here," Mr Gallagher said.
He described Adrian as "a pretty average boy" who he said had been brought up to respect other people and their property.
"What makes me so sad is that someone out there did not do the same thing for their family and because they did not, my family and 200 other families in Omagh are suffering today," Mr Gallagher added.
Further Information
Publisher: IRISH INDEPENDENT
Ref: II/180
Published Date: 18-Aug-98
Related Images
There have been no images archived for this article.