Grieving husband, father Simon Tadros details aftermath of Sea World disaster

The husband of a Gold Coast chopper disaster victim and father of critically injured Nicholas Tadros has bared all as he details his son’s condition and the moment he heard the helicopters crash.

“I gave them both a hug and a kiss and said enjoy it, go have fun. I told them ‘I’ll see you when you get back down’.”

In an interview with Channel 9’s A Current Affair on Monday night, Simon Tadros – the father of Nicholas Tadros and husband of Vanessa Tadros – detailed the pain of hearing his family plummet from the sky as he waited on the ground.

On January 2, two Sea World helicopters on joy flights collided in mid-air, one crashing and killing four people and the other managing to land safely on a sand bank.

Nicholas’s mother and Simon’s wife Vanessa Tadros was one of the four who died when the helicopter she and her son were in fell to the ground after the collision.

Simon Tadros, the father of Nicholas Tadros, the little boy who survived the Sea World chopper crash that killed his mother and three others, speaks publicly for the first time in a sit-down interview with A Current Affair on Monday.

The father described how his “strong-willed boy” broke nearly everything in his body and now requires a leg amputation.

“I’ve lost count of how many surgeries he’s had. It’s a daily struggle for him, the least I can do is be there for my son and fight the fight with him,” Mr Tadros said.

He fought back tears for much of the interview, revealing how he told “Nicky” his mother had passed away.

“I said, ‘listen, Mummy had to go to Jesus’ and he just looked at me and he goes ‘oh no, is Mum dead?’ I said, ‘yes baby boy, Mum passed away’ and he just turned his head and closed his eyes.”

The dad revealed he didn’t see the moment the two helicopters collided but did hear a “big bang”.

Simon and Vanessa Tadros with their son Nicholas. Mrs Tadros was killed when two Sea World helicopters collided at the Gold Coast. Picture: Supplied www.instagram.com/brylou_photography

“I heard a propeller whistling, I quickly jumped up to go look at what was going on,” he said. “There was one helicopter smashing the ground and the other helicopter was just landing. I didn’t know which was which.”

Mr Tadros waited for three hours to find out which helicopter his family was in with a detective breaking the news that his wife had died and his son was transported to hospital in a critical condition.

“Words can’t describe that moment. To find out I lost my wife and I could lose my son … that’s my whole world,” Mr Tadros said.

Nicholas Tadros.

Mr Tadros revealed that Sea World Helicopters had only reached out once since the accident.

“It was a three-minute phone conversation where they expressed their condolences and offered counselling, and then silence,” he said.

“I have gotten through financially because of the love of the Australian community.”

An investigation into what caused the mid-air collision continues.

“It’s an accident that shouldn’t have happen,” Mr Tadros said.

“They have the whole sky; why were two helicopters flying so close to each other? It doesn’t make sense.”

For now, the father reveals his priority and focus remains solely on his son’s health and wellbeing.

“I have to concentrate on my son that’s all I can focus on, I love that kid so much,” he said.