A 22-year-old British tourist died on Monday evening after being struck by a helicopter rotor in Greece.
Jack Fenton was hit and killed after disembarking from a chartered flight from the island of Mykonos to Sparta.
Initial reports said Fenton returned to the helicopter and was hit by the helicopter’s rear rotor while trying to take a selfie with his phone, but British outlet Express reports that the Greek official responsible for the investigation of the tragedy said that it was not so.
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“From the evidence we’ve gathered, it doesn’t appear at all that the young man wanted to take a selfie, but he found himself in the back of the helicopter,” said the chairman of the Accident and Safety Investigation Committee. from Flight of Greece, Ioannis Kondylis.
A Greek police spokesman told the Daily Mail: “Our investigation is continuing, but one of the main areas we are exploring is that Jack left his mobile phone on the helicopter and that is why he suddenly returned.”
Some shouted at him to stop, but he continued to advance towards the helicopter, which had not yet turned off its engines, Greek newspaper Proto Thema reported.
“The young man was hit by the tail rotor propellers which continued to operate while the helicopter was on the ground. His dismemberment was immediate,” writes the Daily Mail.
Jack Fenton was killed by a helicopter blade in Greece. Credit: Provided
The helicopter pilot may face manslaughter charges if investigations show he told passengers to get out of the helicopter before the engines shut down and stopped to run the propellers, Proto reports theme
The tragedy should never have happened, a police officer told the newspaper.
Fenton’s brother and the pilot of a second helicopter were shocked to see him dismembered before their eyes after the impact.
His mother, Victoria, said the family was reeling from the news.
“We only found out what happened at 10 last night,” he told the Daily Mail.
“We are completely devastated. He was the most wonderful guy.
“I believe the pilot is in custody, but apparently it was the most horrific of accidents.”
Fenton’s mother, Victoria, says he had traveled to Greece with friends to celebrate a birthday and was killed on landing in Athens. Credit: George Pachantouris/Getty Images
He said Fenton traveled to Greece with friends to celebrate a birthday.
“He had come down safely when he landed in Athens, but for some reason he came back behind the helicopter and it was the rear propeller that killed him. It was instantaneous.”
It remains unclear why “the helicopter’s tail rotor propeller was running and did not stop before the passengers could exit,” a police spokesman told the Daily Mail.
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