The drama unfolded on the sidelines of the eighth edition of the Paris-Algiers-Dakar car-motorcycle rally, five days ago. On the 14th day of the competition, an Écureuil AS 350 helicopter hit a dune, rolled forward and disintegrated over nearly 150 meters. Night has fallen over the Malian desert, and, in France, the news will not be known until the next morning, that is, Wednesday January 15. And the shock is terrible.
The five occupants of the helicopter were killed instantly: French pilot François-Xavier Bagnoud, rally organizer Thierry Sabine, singer Daniel Balavoine, JDD journalist Nathaly Odent, and RTL radio technician Jean – Paul Le Fur.
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Balavoine, 33 years old, leaves behind a rich repertoire, and for an entire generation a great feeling of bitterness and injustice
The JDD devotes two pages to the tragedy. On the front page, a photo by Raymond Delalande shows hundreds, thousands of men, women, children, young and old, parading at the Nanterre funeral home in front of the remains of Daniel Balavoine. Some made the sign of the cross, others burst into tears. All anonymous people with torn hearts. Balavoine, 33, who took part in the rally – not to compete in the race but to supervise the humanitarian operation “Paris-Dakar, Pari du Cœur” – leaves behind a rich repertoire, and a whole generation a great feeling of bitterness and injustice. He still remains today, almost forty years after the accident, one of the most popular French-speaking artists. His songs, his battles are anchored in memories.
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-“Our Nathaly”. This is the title that crosses the entire last page of the JDD. Patrick Poivre d’Arvor recalls his memories with this young journalist, known as the “chip”who carried laughter in his eyes. Nathaly dreamed of sand, sun, desert, adventure. She had fought to participate in the rally, from the inside. “She loved all risks”adds PPDA.
Several photos show her “in action” with Michel Platini or Yannick Noah. Jean-Pierre Mengual hired her at JDD in 1982. “When she attacked a starwrites Mengual, it was to cook her, to dissect her, to make her confess her most secret thoughts. In the search for information, even more than a ferret, it was a real ant. She collected, she collected. Then, she transformed herself into a cicada of writing, and in her lines sang her sunshine of Cannes. »
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Without forgetting Thierry Sabine, the one we nicknamed the « dieu ». His funeral took place yesterday, Saturday, in the church of Épernon, in Eure-et-Loir. The body of the creator of the Paris-Dakar was then brought back to Paris to be cremated. According to his wish, his ashes will be scattered in the Ténéré desert. Nathaly, Daniel and Thierry, forever our prayers.
