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Two British citizens were among the four individuals killed in a mid-air collision between two helicopters on the Gold Coast of Australia.
It has been discovered that the British couple who perished in a horrific collision involving two helicopters in Australia yesterday was on a trip of a lifetime to visit their relatives.
Ron and Diane Hughes, ages 65 and 57, were two of the four people killed when two helicopters crashed in mid-air in front of hundreds of terrified tourists.
Couple Among Dead in Australia Helicopter Collision
Mr. and Mrs. Hughes, from Merseyside, were married in August 2021 and were on vacation in Australia, where Mr. Hughes' daughter, Jane Manns, and his grandchildren resided. The third British casualty was 40-year-old pilot Ash Jenkinson, who grew up in the West Midlands before migrating to Australia and had recently become a parent.
Vanessa Tadros, 36, an Australian mother thought to be linked to Mr. and Mrs. Hughes, was also gravely injured when the aircraft crashed near Sea World on the Gold Coast of Queensland.
Nicholas, who survived the crash but is in serious condition, had boarded the flight with her. The ten-year-old was extricated from the wreckage and transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, where family members, including his father, who witnessed the incident from the ground, stay by his side.
Two further passengers, Winnie De Silva, 33, and Leon, nine, were also hospitalized, as per Daily Mail. Five of the six occupants of the second helicopter, piloted by Michael James, had minor injuries, while one escaped unharmed.
Mrs. Manns and her husband Ben sent the following statement: "Our family is sad, and we are still attempting to notify friends and relatives. Please respect our privacy at this difficult time."
The Queensland Police Commissioner, Katarina Carroll, intimated that criminal charges may be made, while the inquiry was "still in its infancy."
Commissioner Carroll requested 'patience' from the public throughout the Australian Transport Safety Bureau-led investigation. Friends of a British father who tragically died when the helicopter he was operating crashed onto the sands of Australia's Gold Coast have expressed heartfelt memories.
Mom Vanessa Tadros, 36, from New South Wales, also passed away, but her son Nicholas, 10 years old, survived. Critically ill, he was transported to the hospital, where his grieving father remains at his side, Mirror reported.
Ash, who grew up in the West Midlands but relocated to Australia to start a new life, was regarded as a compassionate and generous pilot who delivered emergency supplies during the 2022 floods. Friends who shared their condolences on Facebook recalled him as being "kind-hearted than everyone else."
Fatal Midair Collision Cause is Still Undetermined
Kristy Frost, a close friend, wrote: "It is nearly difficult to put into words how much of an influence Ash Jenkinson had on my life and everyone who had the privilege of meeting him."
Per BBC, officials said that investigators are still attempting to determine what caused a fatal midair collision between two helicopters on Australia's Gold Coast. Monday's disaster at Sea World in Queensland claimed the lives of two British citizens and two Australians.
According to officials, it occurred less than 20 seconds after one helicopter took off from a sandbar and crashed with a landing aircraft. All fatalities and serious injuries occurred in the rising helicopter, which collapsed seconds after its main rotor blade collided with the cockpit of the other aircraft.
Last year, floods ravaged New South Wales, particularly around Lismore. Police reported that a 33-year-old mother had serious injuries but was stable in the hospital, while her 9-year-old son remained in critical condition. They were the sole survivors of the wrecked helicopter, along with the 10-year-old child.
Both helicopters were doing tourist flights for Sea World, one of the Gold Coast's major amusement parks. Village Roadshow Theme Parks, the company's owner, has expressed sympathy and stated that Sea World Helicopters is an independent operator.
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