Floral tributes have been placed outside All Saints Parish Church in Okehampton to honour the three victims of the Merlin helicopter crash near Sourton Cross last week.

A service of reflection was held in the church on Sunday afternoon, June 7, to remember Lt Commander Chris Gayson, Lt Lily-Mae Fisher and Petty Officer Owen Green, who died when their aircraft came down in a field close to the A30 junction.

The accident happened in the early hours of Wednesday, June 3.

The police and rescue teams attended after an initial callout at 3.45am.

Sunday’s service at All Saints Church included prayers and Bible readings, providing residents with a quiet space to reflect and light candles in memory of the victims.

With Okehampton Army Camp being close by, there is a special sense of connection for those in the town.

Vicar of Okehampton, the Rev’d Claire Reynolds said: “It was important to have been involved in this and obviously it’s horrendously tragic. As we have said, there’s a very close connection with the town and the training camp being here for 700 years. People have definitely felt that sadness and that shock.

“One of the questions I was asked was about the Christian faith and what it offers us in these circumstances. We talk about the hope it offers us with God beside us. Christian faith is very much about Jesus being a light that gives us that hope in the moments of real trauma.”

An MOD investigation is now underway into the cause of the crash.

Someone staying on a neighbouring campsite close reported hearing an explosion during the early hours that morning.

Road closures were in place for much of the day, with the three crew named later as Lieutenant Chris Gayson, 42, and Lieutenant Lily-Mae Fisher, 31, also of RNAS 846 Squadron, and Petty Officer Owen Green, 24, of RNAS 845 Squadron.

The Royal Navy has paid tribute to all three, saying: “Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of those who have lost their lives. Emergency services responded swiftly to the incident and an investigation is now underway to establish the circumstances surrounding the crash.”

At Tavistock independent school Mount Kelly, there was particular sadness as Lt Fisher, Britain's only female Royal Navy Commando, made a huge impression on the students of Mount Kelly College Combined Cadet Force when she visited them back in 2024.

Headmaster Guy Ayling said: “Over the last few days, our community at Mount Kelly has been reflecting on the loss of Lt Lily-Mae Fisher, who tragically died in the recent air crash near Okehampton, just up the road from us.

“Amongst much else, Lt Fisher was Britain's only female Royal Navy Commando. Even in that short visit, we knew we were in the presence of a remarkable individual, someone with a quiet authority, an acute sense of purpose and boundless desire to serve.

“There is a particular force in encountering someone who lives out their commitments so fully, and a particular kind of silence that follows the loss of someone who was so fully alive.”

A spokesperson for North Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team said shortly after the crash: “We are deeply saddened to hear the news that three Royal Navy service personnel have died in the crash at Sourton. We have the pleasure to work with the MoD, Army and Royal Navy during Ten Tors and seeing the Merlins across Dartmoor is a frequent sight of ours.

“We know first hand how highly skilled and dedicated they all are to their roles! Our thoughts and sympathies are with family and friends at this sad time.”

Sir Geoffrey Cox, MP for Tavistock and Torridge, said that day: “My profound sympathy for the families of those who died in the tragic RN helicopter crash at Sourton Down this morning. It is another reminder of how those who serve in our armed forces in peace and war are exposed to constant risk and peril for the sake of us all.”