Such sad news.
News broke on Wednesday that an Irish man had died after he was caught up in wildfires which swept through a resort in Greece.
Brian O’Callaghan-Westropp had been honeymooning in Greece with his wife Zoe Holohan following their wedding last week.
The pair were in the coastal town of Mati when the wildfires hit and became separated during the scramble to escape the blaze.
Tributes have been pouring in for him from the people who knew him, calling him a “diligent colleague and dear friend.”
O’Callaghan-Westropp worked for a catering company and volunteered for Blood Bikes East, which provides an emergency medical transport service around hospitals in Dublin.
“We are beyond devastated at the confirmation that the fires in Greece took Brian from us,” the charity said in a statement.
“A diligent colleague and dear friend, we will miss Brian’s huge personality and infectious smile. His no-nonsense, can-do approach to the work of volunteering meant that he helped BBE to become the professional organisation we are today.
“Despite it being a year and 3 months as a BBE Volunteer, it feels like he was involved for so much longer, and his influence will last for decades to come.
“Thank you Brian for everything, you leave us bereft but better for having known you!
“Rest In Peace now our friend, your work is done.”
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Father Shay Casey, chaplain at Athlone Institute of Technology and friend of the O’ Callaghan-Westropp family, said Brian “did everything with a full heart and saw the needs of other people around him.”
In a statement, Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney said: “I am deeply saddened at confirmation of the death of an Irish citizen in Greece.
“This is such a terrible tragedy, my thoughts are with the families and friends who have requested privacy.
Officials at our Embassy in Athens will continue to provide every possible assistance.”
Main image via Blood Bikes
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