Former top Orange sportsman Brett Gallard has died in a helicopter crash off the West Australian coast.
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Mr Gallard, 44, was piloting the chopper which crashed into the ocean off Port Hedland last Wednesday.
His body was found along with wreckage of the helicopter on Saturday.
Mr Gallard went to Orange High School, and he was a top soccer player for Waratahs in the 1980s including playing state league.
Friend James Dean said Mr Gallard trialled for then-National Soccer League club Marconi before deciding to switch to rugby league.
Mr Gallard played for both Orange CYMS and Hawks in the 1990s.
The fullback and centres player was Country Rugby League player of the year in 1996 and was the highest point scorer in Group 10 in 1997. He also played for Western Division and the NSW Residents side.
Mr Gallard competed in the Orange Eight Day Games event in 1995.
Mr Dean said Mr Gallard later moved to the Gold Coast where he was based, travelling to WA for work on a fly-in, fly-out basis.
“It is unbelievable,” Mr Dean said.
“Anything he turned his hand to he was good at.”
Police divers located Mr Gallard’s body several days after an air and sea search which covered about 1000 kilometres.
A second pilot, 64, was rescued from a life raft shortly after the crash.
WA Police said the crashed helicopter was detected by sonar imaging at around 12:30pm on Saturday.
Mr Gallard was a pilot for Aviator Group, a company which specialises in marine pilot transfers.
WA Police will prepare a report for the Coroner and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.
