Brit, 22, killed by helicopter blade in Greece was not taking a selfie, officials admit

Steve Hopkins

Jack Fenton was killed instantly when he was struck by the rotor blade

Ground staff shouted “stop” to a British tourist killed by a helicopter propeller in Athens, but due to its speed, he would not have seen it, Greek investigators have suggested.

Jack Fenton, 22, was killed instantly by a helicopter propeller in Athens after returning with his siblings from the island of Mykonos on Monday.

Greek media initially reported that the Oxford Brookes University student was struck by the helicopter’s rear rotor while attempting to take a selfie within seconds of the helicopter ouching down near Spata, but an air accident investigator has now said that he was not taking a picture of himself, reported the Daily Star.

According to the Star, Athens accident investigation chief Ioannis Kondylis has said: “From the testimonies we have collected, it does not appear from anywhere that the young man wanted to take a selfie.

“What is reported is that the 22-year-old was holding a mobile phone and had it to his ear, but it has not yet been clarified whether he was talking.”

Kondylis told the publication that investigators had taken statements from both the pilot and the two ground staff which would then “be cross-referenced”.

“According to them, it appears that all the regulations stipulated by the helicopter’s manual were observed,” Kondylis is quoted as saying.

He said ground staff helped the group from the helicopter, but “the young passenger, unknown for what reason, returned to the helicopter”.

“We don’t know why he came back. He didn’t say anything to anyone. According to the testimonies, he was holding a mobile phone which he had to his ear, without us knowing if he was talking to someone,” Konsylis is quoted as saying.

He went on to say that ground staff saw Fenton walking towards the helicopter and shouted in English to “stop, stop, stop”… but he didn’t listen”.

Konsylis said the ground staff shouted loud enough for the captain who was inside the helicopter waring headphones to hear, “so they shouted out loud”.

At the speed the rotor was spinning it was “not visible”.

Two ground engineers and the aircraft’s pilot were detained after the incident, but were freed pending the results of the investigation.

Fenton’s sister, Daisy, told The Independent that no one told her brother to “stop” as he approached the helicopter rotor and called for someone to be held responsible over his death.

“It was Jack’s first time in a helicopter, they let them out while it was still running,” she said.

“It’s only right that charges are pressed and there’s some sort of punishment. It’s only fair that because they didn’t give instructions.”