British tourist ‘decapitated by helicopter blades’ in Athens

Conflicting accounts have emerged of the moments before a 22-year-old British tourist was horrifically killed by a helicopter’s rotor blade.

Horrified onlookers reportedly screamed at a British man to stop as he moved towards the rear of a helicopter before he was killed by a high speed rotor blade.

Police have confirmed they are investigating whether Jack Fenton, 22, was attempting to take a photograph on his phone when he was struck in the head by the craft’s rear spinning blade in Athens, Greece.

The pilot of the black Bell 407 aircraft, who is said to be “deeply traumatised” by the incident, has given testimony to prosecutors and is facing potential negligence charges, along with two ground technicians, The Sun reports.

Greek police said they were not ruling out any scenario as they probed the incident.

“We are examining every eventuality, including the possibility of the boy going there to take a selfie in the excitement of the moment,” a police source said.

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Jack Fenton, 22. Picture: Facebook

The horror accident happened after they left Mykonos (pictured). Picture: istock

Mr Fenton was travelling back from Mykonos with three friends in the hired helicopter when the tragedy struck.

He disembarked the craft and was hit by the rotor after it landed at the Superior Air helipad in Spata, at about 6.20pm local time.

A second helicopter containing Robin Stanton-Gleaves — the owner of Bromley Football Club — his son Max Stanton-Gleaves, and friend Tom Aitkins, followed behind the first. The shocked pilot reportedly managed to radio the second craft and requested emergency permission to abort its landing.

Mr Fenton’s fellow passengers and the pilot reeled in horror after witnessing the sweeping blade kill him instantly.

His mother, Victoria, paid tribute to him as a “wonderful boy” and said his death was a “horrible accident”.

Family members and the authorities are now trying to piece together exactly what happened.

Mr Fenton’s friend Jack Stanton-Gleaves, who was in the same helicopter as him, said “no instructions were given” during their exit from the craft. He said he didn’t know why his friend turned towards the rear blade.

Greek authorities have claimed the group was led away from the helicopter, but Mr Fenton was then on his phone as he moved back towards it.

“No instructions were given when exiting the helicopter and no one escorted us to the lounge,” Mr Stanton-Gleaves told The Sun.

“All they did was open the doors for us. We disembarked on our own and no one stopped Jack from going to the rear of the helicopter.

“None of us reached the lounge before the accident happened. I’ve heard people say Jack was on his phone and ran back to the helicopter, and this is totally untrue.

“He was not on his phone, and why he turned towards the rear of the helicopter, I don’t know.”

Some reports claim Mr Fenton started to move back away from the reception lounge and towards the chopper even though those around him were shouting at him to stop.

The accident happened as the family returned to Greece. Picture: Getty

Ioannis Kandyllis, president of Greece’s committee for aviation accidents, which is probing the tragedy, said Mr Fenton headed back towards the aircraft “at pace”.

“All four passengers had disembarked and were escorted to a private lounge awaiting a private flight for London. But as they were in the lounge, the victim broke away and returned to the tarmac, rushing to the helicopter at a fast pace,” Mr Kandyllis said.

“Witnesses we spoke to said he had a phone to his ear and was walking to the aircraft quickly, defying ground crew shouting to him, ‘Stop! Stop!’

“Within seconds, the tragic accident occurred. It was horrific.”

He said it appeared that all safety regulations had been followed during the landing.

“Aviation regulations require disembarkation to take place either when the helicopter’s rotors have completely stopped or when expert crew accompanies passengers off,” he said.

“In this case, both (the) left and right doors were used by passengers to disembark. They were all escorted safely to the seating lounge. It is after, when the tragedy occurred.”

It is understood Mr Fenton, who studied Sports Coaching and Sports Studies at Oxford Brookes University, “suffered horrific head injuries caused by a spinning rotor blade”.

“We are talking about a tragedy, an unprecedented tragedy that should never have happened,” said a police source.

Sources said the group’s 185km trip in two helicopters from its holiday in Mykonos would have cost more than $26,000 (15,000 pounds). Limousines were on standby at Lolo Heliport in Spata, on the outskirts of Athens, to whisk them straight to a “family-owned private jet”, which was waiting to whisk them back from the international airport.

Focus of the investigation

Giorgos Kalliakmanis, the head of the Greek police union, said the investigation would focus on whether correct safety procedures were followed.

The helicopter’s pilot could face manslaughter charges if he was deemed to be at fault, Mr Kalliakmanis told the Mega news channel.

“We want to see if the pilot informed the passengers to get off the helicopter,” he said. “These propellers run for about two minutes from the time he turns the engine off, unless he presses a button that stops them at 50 seconds.

“The helicopter door has no security; anyone who wants to open the door can get out. The preliminary investigation will look at whether the pilot informed them to get out when the propeller and engines stopped.”

Investigators are questioning the pilot as to why the rotors were not still or secured before the passengers were allowed off.

The weather may also have contributed. High winds were reported across Greece on Monday, as well as searing 40-degree heat.

Overnight the pilot, along with two airport officials, appeared before a prosecutor to testify in connection to potential negligence charges.

The friends Mr Fenton flew with, all of whom are reportedly men in their twenties, have provided testimony as well.

“We only found out what happened at 10pm last night. We are completely devastated. He was the most wonderful boy,” his mother told The Daily Mail.

“I think the pilot is in custody, but it was the most horrible of accidents by the looks of it. Jack had travelled to Greece with some of his friends, a couple (of whom) were celebrating birthdays out there.

“He had got off safely when it landed in Athens, but for some reason went back behind the helicopter, and it was the rear propeller which killed him. It was instant.”

Mr Fenton had started work as a junior account executive at Ball Street Network, a media company in South London, back in March.

“Our team is in shock, having just found out about this tragic news,” a spokesman for the company said.

“We do not wish to comment further, other than to ask that the privacy of the family is respected at this difficult time.

“Our love and thoughts are with Jack’s family and friends.”

This story originally appeared on The Sun and has been reproduced with permission