The Department of Defence is releasing the following statement at the request of Dave and Mary McCarthy, the parents of
Signaller Sean McCarthy, and his sisters Leigh and Clare.
"We are struggling to come to terms with the sudden loss of our beloved son and brother, Sean Patrick McCarthy, who was
killed last week while on duty in Afghanistan.
We would like to thank our family, friends, Sean's Army mates, his school friends and members of the public for their
support and caring at this difficult time.
That support has reinforced to us just what Sean meant to so many people and the impact he had in his short time with
us.
Sean Patrick - he was very proud of his middle name - was lucky enough to find a career that he loved and was very
passionate about. We know that he will be sorely missed by his fellow soldiers just as we, his family, will miss him
dearly. He will always live on in our hearts.
We wish to pay particular mention to the soldiers who were on patrol with Sean that day. We extend our gratitude to
those we know did everything they could for Sean. Our thoughts are with you.
Sean returns home tomorrow and when details of his military funeral on the Gold Coast on Friday are finalised, they'll
be released through the media.
We thank the media for their consideration and ask that they continue to respect our privacy at this time."
ENDS