Sea World tragedy pilot undergoes surgery as victims identified

The pilot praised for his “remarkable’ feat in landing a badly-damaged helicopter on a Gold Coast sand bank has undergone surgery, as the four victims were identified.

The pilot praised for his “remarkable’ feat in landing a badly-damaged helicopter on a Gold Coast sand bank after it collided mid-air with another helicopter has undergone surgery in hospital.

Michael James, 52, was admitted to Gold Coast University Hospital and underwent surgery on Tuesday to remove shrapnel from wounds suffered in the shocking crash which left four people dead.

The cause of the crash is the subject of an intense investigation involving Queensland Police and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.

Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll has not ruled out criminal charges over the incident but says it’s “very early days” in the investigation.

Sea World Helicopters pilot Michael James survived the tragedy.

The pilot of the second helicopter, Sea World Helicopters’ chief pilot Ashley Jenkinson, 40, British couple Ron and Diane Hughes, aged 65 and 57, and NSW mum Vanessa Tadros, 36, died when their chopper plummeted some 200 feet to the ground after the collision, while Mr James was able to navigate his badly-damaged aircraft to a nearby sand bank.

Pilot Ash 'jenko' Jenkinson, 40, who flew supplies to flood victims during the 2022 Northern Rivers flood disaster is remembered as a kind loving soul by many whose lives he helped. Picture: Deanie White

Everyone was able to walk away from his helicopter, prompting witnesses to declare that Mr James “deserved a medal” for avoiding a much higher death toll.

Mr James is now recovering from his surgery and is yet to speak with police to give his account of the tragedy.

Vanessa Tadros died in the horror crash. Picture: Supplied

Two other passengers on Mr James’ helicopter, which was returning to the landing pad after a scenic flight over the Gold Coast Broadwater, remain in hospital on the Gold Coast, along with Mr James. A 43-year-old New Zealand woman has undergone surgery while a 45-year-old New Zealand woman remains under observation.

All three are in stable conditions.

British couple Diane and Ron Hughes were killed in the Sea World Helicopter crash at the Gold Coast on Monday. Pics Supplied.

Victorian woman Winnie De Silva remains in Gold Coast University Hospital in a serious but stable condition, while the 10-year-old son of Mrs Tadros is in a critical condition. Mrs De Silva’s nine-year-old son Leon is also in a critical condition in the Queensland Children’s Hospital.

Ms Carroll and Acting Premier Steven Miles on Tuesday laid flowers at a public memorial site at the Southport Broadwater opposite where the crash happened.

The Commissioner was asked by media if criminal charges were possible as a result of the crash.

Winnie De Silva in hospital after she survived the helicopter crash. Her nine-year-old son is in a critical condition Source: GoFundMe page

“It is early days and there’s a long way to go,” she said.

“Please be patient with that (investigation) … it may be days, it may be weeks.

“They are quite comprehensive investigations. We will prepare a report for the Coroner and assist the ATSB (Australian Transport Safety Board) with their investigations.”

Ms Carroll said all potential causes of the crash, including pilot error and equipment malfunction, would be looked at as part of the investigation.

“We have got a lot of work to do; ATSB have got a lot of work to do.

“These are meticulous, meticulous investigations that need to be done exceptionally well.”

The two Sea World helicopters which collided at the Gold Coast Water police headquarters. Picture: David Clark

It’s believed the Eurocopter EC130B4 which had Mr Jenkinson, Mr and Mrs Hughes and Ms Tadros onboard had been in the air for less than 20 seconds and had risen to an altitude of about 200 feet when it was involved in the collision with the other chopper approaching from the west.

Sea World Helicopters did not reopen for business on Tuesday and is closed until further notice.

SCROLL DOWN FOR FURTHER DETAIL ON THE HELICOPTERS INVOLVED

Family told The Courier-Mail that Mrs Tadros, also known as Vanessa Geagea, was on holiday from New South Wales.

She and her 10-year-old son, Nicholas, boarded the doomed chopper on Monday while her husband remained behind.

Mrs Tadros was killed, while her son was rushed to hospital in a critical condition.

Family said Nicholas was undergoing his fourth surgery since the accident on Tuesday morning.

They said the family travelled from Sydney to be by his side.

The aftermath of the fatal helicopter crash on the Broadwater next to Sea World on the Gold Coast.

A relative posted a tribute to her cousin to social media.

“R.I.P. cousin Vanessa Geagea. You passed away too soon in this horrific tragedy,” she said.

“May God have mercy on you, Vanessa, yourself in heaven, and may God heal your son, O Lord, and grant him peace”

Friends of Mr and Mrs Hughes have shared tributes of the couple online.

Friends have shared their grief on social media, saying their hearts were “broken”.

“Absolutely lost for words, heartbroken,” one friend said.

The couple, from Liverpool, were married in 2021.

Their familie are travelling to the Gold Coast from the United Kingdom.

Chief pilot of Sea World helicopters, Ash 'Jenko' Jenkinson, 40, died in a helicopter crash over the Gold Coast Broadwater near Sea World on Monday, January 2.

Mr Jenkinson had been remembered as a “legend” who came to the rescue of Northern NSW flood victims last year.

The Courier-Mail can reveal Mr Jenkinson had worked as a chief pilot at Sea World Helicopters since August 2019 and was considered a mentor to friends in the aviation industry.

He had only just celebrated the first birthday of his son in September.

Queensland Police and ATSB Officers recover the wreckage after four people were killed and many more injured after two helicopters collided near Sea World on the Gold Coast. Picture: Scott Powick

Tributes have poured in for Mr Jenkinson, as friends and those he helped during one of the worst floods on record remembered the man who was beloved by many.

While the helicopter piloted by Mr Jenkinson plummeted to earth, the other pilot was miraculously able to manouvre his helicopter to a safe landing on a nearby sandbank.

The EC130B4 helicopter is operated from the left-hand side, and investigators from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau will seek to determine whether line of sight or communication systems played any role in the tragedy.

As per operator guidelines, Mr Jenkinson had taken off in a southerly direction into the face of a gentle southeasterly breeze blowing at between 15-18 knots (about 30km/hr).

He had two passengers in the front seat and four across the back.

The other chopper, the same model, had six people on board with one spare seat with all on board able to walk away from their emergency landing described as “remarkable” by Australian Transport Safety Bureau Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell.

“It was a remarkable job considering the damage that was done to the front-left hand part of the aircraft where the pilot was sitting,” he said.

“We could have had a far worse situation here.

“What we do need to know now is, what was occurring inside those cockpits.”

Aviation expert Geoff Thomas, with more than 45 years industry experience, described it as “an extraordinary feat of airmanship”.

“It’s just amazing, it’s an incredible feat to do that given the level of damage and that he would have been hurt with glass and perspex everywhere,” he told the Bulletin.

“It was an extraordinary feat of airmanship and he saved lives there is no doubt about it.

“When I looked at the images, I was astonished at the damage and that he was able to land it at all.”

It is understood there were no “mayday” distress transmissions sent by either pilot with investigators now looking to access recording devices salvaged from the wreckage.