Jack Fenton death: Cops unable to contact friends who may hold clues after witnessing helicopter accident
Warning: Graphic content
ATHENS, GREECE: Officials investigating the tragic death of Jack Fenton, a British tourist who died after getting hit by a spinning helicopter blade, claim that they are unable to get a hold of his friends, who might provide clues behind the tragedy, according to a report by The Sun.
Authorities have made several desperate attempts to contact eyewitnesses for additional information regarding the July 25 incident after Jack Fenton accidentally ran into helicopter blades.
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The 22-year-old died on Monday, July 25, 2022, from head injuries after getting hit by a spinning rear rotor of a chopper that flew him to Athens, Greece.
Police suggested Fenton may have breached safety instructions while using his mobile phone. They also ordered toxicology tests to establish whether the deceased was drunk, a claim that his family and friends have rebuked.
Eyewitnesses not picking up calls, say police
According to The Accident Investigation and Flight Safety Committee, dozens of calls have been made to Fenton's friends, whose phones have been switched off since the night of the tragedy.
The Greek capital’s accident investigation chief Ioannis Kondylis described Fenton's last moments in detail. He 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 confirmed that Fenton was not taking a photograph when he died amid concerns that he was not properly briefed about safety.
Kondylis revealed that Fenton exited the Bell 407 craft from the right door after it landed, but returned to it and ducked under the tail of the craft. As he stooped, he was unable to see the rear rotor spinning at up to 500 revolutions per second.
The police believe Fenton might have strayed into the craft after going to retrieve his mobile which he left on board. Kondylis said, “There is a camera outside the hall. We do not know if this camera has a memory card," adding
“We submitted a request to the police to examine whether there is audio-visual material, which would help the most in understanding the circumstances of the accident."
A Greek police spokesman said, “Our investigation is continuing but one of the major areas that we are exploring is that Jack forgot his mobile phone on the helicopter and that’s why he suddenly returned to it."
“We are still in the process of completing our interviews but a number of eyewitnesses saw him with a mobile phone in his hand, moments before he was killed," he added.
The spokesperson added, “Once our investigation has been completed, we will send the file to the prosecutor who will decide if there are to be any charges.”