Wednesday, 27 November 2024

Dusty Daly and Luke and Benny Smith

Renee HEATH (Eastern Victoria) (09:59): 16 November was a dark day for the communities of Gippsland and Tongala. It was the day that 15-year-old Dusty Daly and his two cousins Luke and Benny Smith tragically died in a light plane crash over Tinamba West.

There is no doubt that these men were much loved by their families and friends and made an enormous impact on their communities. Some of Dusty’s friends from Catholic College in Sale asked me to pay tribute to their friend and honour his memories, and these are their words:

Dusty had a wide variety of friends and knew how to make an impression everywhere. Everyone knew Dusty because he always put his amazing personality out there. He always made everyone laugh. When he hosted a party his family was very hospitable and it was a great opportunity to get together.

He never took himself too seriously. On the last day that he was at school we had some spare hair ties. Dusty did his hair in pigtails and walked around the school making everyone laugh.

Dusty’s life has had a huge impact on us.

He openly accepted everyone and he was easy to get along with. He was positive in dark situations and helped you see the brighter side – and he never failed to make you laugh.

We cannot believe that he is gone. Our hearts break a little more everyday sinking into the reality of you not being here and we’d give anything to have that last conversation with you. Something died in each of us on the 16/11/24 and something will forever be missing but forever engraved in our memories. Our sympathy goes towards the Daly family in their time of grief. Missing you so much.

#forever15.