[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
A young British has been killed in one of the most brutal ways imaginable. But why??
According to The Sun, cops in Athens, Greece have confirmed 22-year-old Jack Fenton was killed on Monday when he was struck by a helicopter blade at an airport in the city. Apparently he walked right into the high-speed blade in the rear of the craft while it was still spinning.
Per the news org, the young man “suffered horrific head injuries” caused by the spinning blade. The report, which was published Tuesday morning, claims cops are now looking into whether Fenton may have been trying to take a selfie after landing.
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As part of the police probe into the incident, two ground technicians were reportedly arrested this week. The outlet further notes that the pilot of the Bell 407 Helicopter is said to be “deeply traumatized” by the tragedy. A police source spoke to the outlet about the ongoing inquiry into Fenton’s death:
“We are examining every eventuality, including the possibility of the boy going there to take a selfie in the excitement of the moment. … We are talking about a tragedy — an unprecedented tragedy — a tragedy that should never have happened.”
This all happened when Jack and several of his friends were traveling back to Athens from Mykonos.
The group’s helicopter landed at the Superior Air helipad at Lolo Heliport in Spata, Greece around 6:20 p.m. local time on Monday when Fenton walked off the craft. The news outlet notes that other passengers “saw a sweeping blade kill him instantly” while out on the tarmac.
Jack Stanton-Gleaves, a friend of Fenton’s who was also traveling in the craft, told The Sun that workers on the ground gave “no instructions” about disembarking from the chopper. He alleged:
“No instructions were given when exiting the helicopter and no one escorted us to the lounge. 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.”
Stanton-Gleaves denied the possibility raised by police that Fenton may have been trying to take a selfie at the time of his tragic death:
“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.”
Others involved in the investigation have noted Fenton’s apparent unexplained turn to the back of the helicopter, as well.
Ioannis Kandyllis, who is the president of Greece’s committee for investigating aviation accidents, said Fenton apparently first walked towards a private lounge at the airport before returning to the helicopter “at a fast pace.”
Kandyllis claimed ground crews tried to stop Fenton, to no avail:
“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. 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.”
Now, law enforcement officials are working to determine whether safety procedures were correctly followed.
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Giorgos Kalliakmanis, the head of the Greek police union, told Mega News the chopper’s pilot could face manslaughter charges if found to be at fault. He said:
“We want to see if the pilot informed the passengers to get off the helicopter. These propellers run for about two minutes from the time he turns the engine off unless he presses a button which stops them at 50 seconds. The helicopter door has no security, anyone who wants to open the door and get out. The preliminary investigation will look at whether the pilot informed them to get out when the propeller and engines stopped.”
As the investigation begins, the other men on board with Fenton have reportedly provided testimony to Greek officials.
The late man’s grieving mother Victoria spoke about the tragedy on Tuesday, too. She told DailyMail.com:
“We only found out what happened at 10 p.m. last night. We are completely devastated. He was the most wonderful boy. … It was the most horrible of accidents by the looks of it. Jack had travelled to Greece with some of his friends, a couple who were celebrating birthdays out there.”
Such a heartbreaking situation on what should have been such a fun and memorable trip…
We send our condolences to Fenton’s family, friends, and loved ones as they deal with the aftermath of his awful, awful passing.
R.I.P.
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