Leicester owner’s family pays tribute at team’s stadium

The family of the Thai billionaire who died in helicopter crash paid a poignant visit to the Leicester soccer ground yesterday.

Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha and Jamie Vardy at Leicester City Football Club. Picture: Getty Images

The family of the Thai billionaire who died with four others when his helicopter crashed outside Leicester City’s stadium paid a poignant visit to the ground yesterday joined by the club’s tearful players and staff.

Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, 61, died after his aircraft spiralled and burst into flames moments after taking off from the pitch of the King Power stadium following Leicester’s match against West Ham.

As investigators recovered the digital flight data recorder from the wreckage, Mr Vichai’s weeping wife, Aimon, and his son, Aiyawatt, laid a wreath on the centre circle. The word RIP appeared on screens around the stadium with a picture of Mr ­Vichai as his family hugged and shook hands with the players. Later they visited the sea of floral tributes, football shirts and messages that has continued to grow around the stadium, where they laid another wreath and prayed.

Members of the club’s first team also visited the memorial. Jamie Vardy, Kasper Schmeichel, Harry Maguire and the manager, Claude Puel, were among those who did a lap of the site. The team, some with arms around each other, then looked out on the hundreds of flowers, cards and messages.

Some players paid tributes on social media. Vardy described Mr Vichai as “a legend, an incredible man who had the biggest heart, the soul of Leicester City Football Club”. Schmeichel wrote an open letter saying he was “totally devastated and heartbroken”.

Among those who died were two members of Mr Vichai’s staff: Nursara Suknama, 33, and Kaveporn Punpare, from Bangkok. Eric Swaffer, 53, who was flying the aircraft and Izabela Lechowicz, 46, his partner who was also a pilot, were both killed.

Witnesses said Mr Swaffer, a pilot with 20 years’ experience, saved lives by steering away from people on the ground.

Lucie Morris-Marr, who was friends with Mr Swaffer for 18 years, said he would have done all he could to prevent lives being lost. She said he had been “living the dream” and was in an “aviation love story” with Ms Lechowicz. “Not many people get to work and travel with their soulmate, travelling the world going to glamorous places,” she said.

Others to pay tribute to Mr Vichai included Theresa May and Prince William, who said he was lucky to have known the man who “made such a big contribution to football”.

“He was a businessman of strong values who was dedicated to his family and who supported a number of important charitable causes,” William said.

Mrs May said the outpouring of grief was “a testament to how many people’s lives were touched by those on board”.

Experts are investigating. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch said the flight recorder had been “subject to intense heat as a result of the post-accident fire” and that its team would work with police until the end of the week before removing the wreckage for more examination. Witnesses said the aircraft came down after spinning out of control. Some said it was “already spinning” as it came out of the stadium before crashing, “then bursting into flames”.

The Times