Dublin dad pays heartbreaking tribute to "utterly joyful" daughter Ella Mills

Ella Mills’ devastated dad has paid a heartbreaking tribute to his "utterly joyful" daughter as the first anniversary of her death approaches, branding her passing a "nightmare."

Trinity College Student Ella Mills, who was just after starting a term at Columbia University as part of her dual BA program, died when a piece of her clothing got caught on a rock while kayaking near Washington last September.

Ms. Mills was a third-year English student at Trinity College Dublin, and had begun her term at Columbia the month of her passing. In Columbia, she was considered a junior at the School of General Studies.

The Dublin native had been on a trip with the Columbia University Whitewater Kayaking Club when the tragedy occurred.

Appearing on Newstalk Breakfast on Tuesday morning, Ms. Mills’ father Ralph recalled the difficulties their family had bringing her body home to Ireland after her death.

"On the surface, it should have been relatively straightforward. It’s the US, she died in the administrative capital, she was fully insured, we had a lot of help from Columbia University and the liaison based in Washington was incredible.

"I was at home looking after the twins, who were 14 years old at the time, and [her mother] Jo-Ann went over with her sister. Even with all that in her favour, it was just a Kafkaesque experience — a nightmare.

"I can only imagine families who lose loved ones in more contentious circumstances or more difficult to reach places in the world," he said.

Thankfully, the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust stepped in to help the family, who helped "the financial burden and with the logistical problems of bringing a loved one home."

Recalling his close relationship with his daughter, Mr Mills said: "Everyone’s child is deeply special but there was something incredible about Ella. She was about the smartest person I’ve ever met.

"The first child will teach the parents how to be parents and she gave us the most wonderful lesson. It was utterly joyful, our time with her."

He continued: "She was determined, focused, she always wanted to peel away the layers and see what’s underneath. She wasn’t satisfied with a standard answer – she had this incredible intellectual curiosity.

"You really couldn’t meet her without thinking one day she’ll make a huge impact on the world."

Ralph completed an ‘aqua-marathon,’ a 26-mile run in a swimming pool, in Clontarf on Sunday, August 25, with funds raised going to the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust.

The world record attempt got underway at West Wood Club on August 25, a year to the day from when he last saw his daughter and waved her off at Dublin Airport.

"You’re running up and down a swimming pool, it has to be a constant depth. You just keep running up and down for as long as it takes – it was 844 lengths [of a 50m pool]. It’s a bit like the Everest thing – I chose that because it was there.

"I’d been in conversation with someone who asked if there’s any way we wanted to help fundraise for the Kevin Bell Trust. I was plodding up and down the pool one day thinking if there’s anything in this that could be done.

"I went on to the Guinness World Record site and found the record existed, it had been acknowledged, but it was unclaimed," he said.

*This article was originally published on Extra.ie.