A man from the UK who was decapitated by a helicopter tail rotor while “taking a selfie” as he was on holiday in Greece has now been identified. Student Jack Fenton, was disembarking from a helicopter in Athens when he was struck in the head with the tail blade.
According to local reports the 22-year-old was returning from a short trip to Mykonos with three friends at the time of the tragedy. A Greek police source revealed that Jack had been decapitated by the moving blades at the tail of the helicopter, according to Mirror Online.
The public-school educated Brit had apparently moved to the back of the chopper, a Bell 407, with his mobile phone in hand. On Tuesday reports were rife in the Greek media that the 21-year-old had been about to take a selfie when tragedy struck. He was described as being decapitated instantly.
Three people including the aircraft’s pilot were arrested overnight with the pilot facing charges of involuntary manslaughter. The pilot reportedly radioed his colleague on board another helicopter, which had the man’s parents on, to raise the alarm.
They diverted his parents to another airfield in Spata, to spare them the horror of seeing their son’s body. A source told The Sun : “The pilot saw what had happened and decided to spare the parents the sight of their son - it was horrendous.”
Local reports suggested he had been “taking a photo” when the helicopter blade hit him. Manslaughter charges have been issued against the pilot and two ground technicians who are all currently in police custody.
The tragic accident took place on a reported 115 mile trip which would’ve cost Mr Fenton’s parents tens of thousands of pounds to pay for. It’s believed that at least one of his siblings was on board at the time their brother was killed.
An FCDO spokesperson told The Mirror in a statement: “We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in Greece and are in contact with the local authorities.”
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