Sarawak crash: remembering the 5 who flew to help others

They boarded the helicopter as they had on other Flying Doctor missions, heading into remote Sarawak to bring healthcare to communities far from major towns and hospitals.

Pilot Captain Zainol Afiq Bee Sham, medical officer Dr Ainul Baraah Kamaruddin, assistant medical officer Alexson Adit Henry, and nurses Debra Moset and Jessie Paya Jok were travelling from Miri to Long Lellang when their helicopter crashed near the airstrip on Tuesday.

All five were killed.

In the days since, accounts from family members, friends and former colleagues have begun to reveal the people behind the tragedy – not only healthcare workers and a pilot, but parents, siblings, friends and spouses whose lives extended far beyond their work.

Capt Zainol Afiq Bee Sham, 30

Those who knew or flew with him remember a friendly and humble pilot with an easy smile.

Zainol was a husband and father of two young children, aged six years and 10 months, respectively. He was also the fourth of 12 siblings.

The 30-year-old had years of experience flying into remote parts of Sarawak, including on medical missions. Last year, he safely carried out an emergency landing in bad weather while transporting a patient from Long Jeeh to Miri Hospital.

Outside aviation, Zainol had another skill that few may have known about: woodworking. A former colleague recalled that he made chairs, tables and picture frames, taking particular care over the finish of each piece.

The night before the crash, Zainol spent more than an hour speaking with his mother by video call. Neither could have known it would be their last conversation.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, whom Zainol had flown during the 2022 general election campaign, was among those who paid tribute to the young pilot, remembering his habit of greeting him before and after flights and joining him in prayer.

Dr Ainul Baraah Kamaruddin, 33

For Ainul, there were still plans ahead.

The 33-year-old doctor from Kelantan had been serving in Miri for about two years and was hoping to pursue postgraduate studies at Universiti Sains Malaysia in Kubang Kerian, with the goal of becoming a specialist and eventually returning home to Kelantan.

Her father, Kamaruddin Salleh, said the family had been happy when she told them about the plan.

What also stood out to him was her willingness to serve in places that could only be reached by air. Ainul never complained about travelling by helicopter into remote areas, he said, and approached the work with enthusiasm rather than fear.

“She was brave,” her father recalled. “She said it was in order to serve patients.”

Ainul, the fourth of five siblings, had been married for three years.

Jessie Paya Jok, 44

To those who knew her, Jessie – or Paya, as friends called her – was gentle, soft-spoken and almost always smiling.

Her longtime friend Caroline Sawai Joseph Chungat had known her since they trained as community nurses in 2005. In more than two decades of friendship, Caroline said she could not remember Jessie ever raising her voice in anger.

That same kindness followed her into her work. While serving at Bario Health Clinic, Jessie once used her own money to help a patient travel to Miri for further treatment, Caroline said.

She was also known for small acts of care outside the clinic. Friends recalled that Jessie would make sure everyone else had eaten before thinking about herself, while former patients remembered a cheerful nurse who cared for mothers and children with warmth.

Only recently, Jessie had told Caroline that she planned to leave the Flying Doctor Service this month and pursue an advanced diploma in midwifery next year.

“She did not get the chance to fulfil it,” Caroline said. “That was one of the last dreams she told me about.”

Debra Moset, 40

Debra Moset is remembered by colleagues as meticulous and responsible. But by her family, another image comes just as easily: Debra in the kitchen.

The 40-year-old nurse and mother of three worked in Miri, but whenever she had time off, she returned to her family home in Kampung Semadang, Padawan, even if only for a short visit.

Her younger brother Morgan Moset said the family always looked forward to having her home.

Cooking was one of her pleasures. During Christmas and Gawai Dayak, her beef rendang became something of a family fixture, while her children were especially fond of her curry.

She was also someone who liked to laugh – the sort of person whose cheerful presence was felt both in a clinic and around a family table.

Alexson Adit Henry, 31

Alexson Adit Henry was also still studying and building towards the next stage of his career. The assistant medical officer had completed an advanced diploma only last month and had begun a Bachelor of Medical and Health Sciences programme.

He leaves behind a five-year-old daughter and a two-year-old son.

His work often meant giving up time with his own family to reach others in distant communities: a sacrifice his sister highlighted in her tribute to him, describing his time with the Flying Doctor service as one of his proudest achievements.

And in one of the most poignant messages to emerge after the crash, his widow, Stephanie Essah, wrote that their daughter was still asking whether her father would return – a reminder that at home, he was simply “daddy”.

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