The sister of a Briton killed after being hit by a helicopter blade in Greece has demanded that someone be punished after the tragic incident.
Jack Fenton, 22, was disembarking from a Bell 407 helicopter at a private airport in Athens when the plane’s rear rotor was fatally struck, killing him instantly.
The junior executive at the social media company was returning from a holiday in Mykonos and planned to catch a flight to Britain after the helicopter ride.
Daisy Fenton, 20, denied claims reported by Greek authorities that Jack ran back to the helicopter and refused to listen to calls for him to stop.
Daisy (L) said Jack (R) was a family man loved by all
(Jack Fenton)
“Jack’s not 10, he’s 22, if someone shouted at him to stop he wouldn’t go on,” Daisy told The Independent.
“No one told him to stop, he just walked behind, no one knew he did it. No one knows why, we don’t know if he forgot something or if he was going the other way, but he was obviously dark and hit him in the back of the head,” he said.
Daisy said the plane’s staff told the passengers to get off the helicopter while the propellers were still running.
“It was Jack’s first time in a helicopter, they let them out while it was still running, it’s only right that charges should be laid and there should be some form of punishment,” said Daisy.
“It’s fair because they didn’t give instructions.”
Daisy said Jack had been on holiday with friends at the time of the incident while the family were at home in the UK when they received the heartbreaking news.
Jack with his father Miguel (R) and his sister Daisy (L)
(Daisy Fenton)
Ioannis Kandyllis, chairman of Greece’s aviation accident committee, which is investigating the incident, said witnesses he spoke to described Mr Fenton having a phone to his ear as he walked back to the helicopter .
“All four passengers had disembarked and were escorted to a private lounge awaiting a private flight to London,” Kandyllis said.
“But while they were in the lounge, the victim broke away and ran back onto the tarmac, running towards the helicopter at high speed. Witnesses we spoke to said he had a phone to his ear and was going to the plane quickly, defying the ground crew who shouted at him: “Stop! Stop!’
“Within seconds the tragic accident happened. It was horrible.”
Friends and family have paid tribute to Jack
(Supplied)
But Jack Stanton-Gleaves, 20, was in the helicopter with the victim and said he was on the phone, adding that no instructions were given.
He told MailOnline passengers disembarked on their own and were not escorted to a private lounge. Instead, the accident happened before he got to the salon, he says.
Daisy, a university student at the University of Manchester, also questioned why her brother was trying to take a selfie on the back of the helicopter while it was dark.
Jack was hit by the blade of a Bell-407 helicopter (file photo)
(Creative Commons)
Paying tribute to her brother, Daisy said: “He was honestly the loveliest guy, he was a bit shy, everyone loved him because he was there to chat, he was a family man. It’s a shame he was such a big boy.”
The family is now awaiting the return of Jack’s remains.
According to local reports, the pilot and two ground technicians appeared before a prosecutor, testifying in relation to the incident, and were later released.
“All three face charges of negligent homicide,” a Greek police spokesman said. “How the accident happened is still under investigation. It was a very unfortunate incident. We hope the British man’s family stays strong.”
Mr Fenton’s friends are understood to have given evidence to investigators and local media said all three had returned to the UK.
The inquest is expected to look into why the helicopter’s engine was still running when the passengers got out.
A spokesman for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in Greece and are in contact with the local authorities.”