Athens: A young British tourist, who died after being struck by helicopter blades in Greece, might have been killed while attempting to take a photo when alighting the chopper.
The 22-year-old Jack Fenton was disembarking the aircraft at a private airport in Spata on Monday evening when he was hit in the head with the tail blade.
The Times quoted a senior police official as saying: "He was the first to disembark the Bell 407 helicopter in Athens and as he moved to the back, he was hit in the head by the aircraft’s small rear rotor. There was no chance of him surviving. His death was instantaneous."
Ioannis Kandyllis, president of Greece’s committee for aviation accidents which is investigating the incident, as saying that witnesses he spoke to said Fenton had a phone to his ear as he rushed toward the helicopter, The Independent reported.
He said, "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."
Meanwhile, police said that they are "doing everything to understand what went wrong and how this tragic incident occurred."
The pilot of black Bell 407 craft and two ground technicians have been arrested. (UNI)