Copter tragedy: Family of victim grieving tragic loss of daughter, elder sister

Johnny Mayi showing a photo of his niece Laskar Kelas I Joanna Felicia Rohny, who was killed in the helicopter crash in Lumut, Perak, on Tuesday (April 23). – ZULAZHAR SHEBLEE/The Star

KUCHING: The family of Navy Laskar Kelas I Joanna Felicia Rohny, who tragically lost her life in a helicopter crash in Lumut, Perak, are grieving.

Her younger sisters, Honey Vivianne Francis, 16, and Diyanne Yanz Love, 14, were in school when their father came to tell them the news.

“At that time, I was studying. When I heard the news, I was shocked and shaking. I can’t believe that she’s gone,” Honey said at the family’s home in Kampung Sumpas Tampek, about 118km from here, on Tuesday (April 23).

She said Joanna last came home during Gawai last year, but they were chatting just yesterday.

“She would advise me to study hard and look after the family. She always told us to study well because she wanted to see her sisters succeed.

“I’m really sad now because she was my only big sister. But I accept it and trust God, maybe God loves her more,” Honey added.

Diyanne also said she was shocked and grieved over her sister’s death.

“Whenever she came home, she would take us out, joke, and laugh with us. She would also get us to cook with her.

“Before she went back to Perak, she told us to look after our grandparents, our parents and ourselves and to study hard,” she said, wiping away tears.

Joanna’s uncle, Johny Mayi, said her parents were informed of the incident through a phone call from Lumut.

“We were about to eat when the call came. We were all shocked and her mother found it hard to accept the news,” he said, adding that Navy personnel brought her parents to the airport to go to Perak at about 3.30pm.

Joanna was one of three women killed in the mid-air collision of two Navy helicopters, which also claimed seven other lives.