3 Arrested After Tourist Hit by Helicopter Rotor

Jack Fenton died in 'gory' accident after disembarking in Athens
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 26, 2022 7:43 PM CDT
British Tourist Dies in 'Gory' Helicopter Accident
Stock photo of a Bell 407 helicopter.   (Getty Images/Lazor Photography)

Police in Greece are investigating the horrific death of a young British tourist at a heliport near Athens. Authorities say 22-year-old Jack Fenton was killed instantly when he walked behind a Bell 407 helicopter and was hit by its tail rotor soon after he disembarked from a flight from the island of Mykonos on Monday, the BBC reports. "There was no chance of him surviving. His death was instantaneous and the accident simply gory," a senior police official tells the Times of London.

The pilot and two members of the ground crew were arrested Monday on suspicion of negligent homicide, the Guardian reports. They were later freed pending the results of the investigation. Police say they are trying to determine why passengers were allowed to disembark before the blades had come to a standstill. Fenton was traveling with three friends. His parents were in a different helicopter, which was reportedly diverted to the main Athens airport so they wouldn't have to witness the scene of the accident. According to reports in Greek media, Fenton unexpectedly walked back toward the helicopter after disembarking, (More helicopter stories.)

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