British married couple named after four die in mid-air helicopter crash in Australia
A married couple from Cheshire have been killed in a mid-air crash between two helicopters on Australia’s Gold Coast, John Ray reports.
A British couple who died in a mid-air crash between two helicopters in Australia have been named as Ron and Diane Hughes.The married couple, 65 and 57, from Cheshire, were among four people killed in the incident, which occurred on the Gold Coast of Queensland state on Monday.
Pilot Ashley Jenkinson, thought to be originally from Birmingham, was also killed in the crash.
Ron and Diane, who married in August 2021, had travelled to the Gold Coast to visit Ron’s daughter Jane Manns, her husband Ben Manns and their children.
“Our family is heartbroken and we are still trying to contact friends and family to let them know,” Mr and Mrs Manns said in a statement to 7NEWS.
“Please respect our privacy at this devastating time.”
Friends and family have posted photos of Diane in tribute.
“We would also like to thank you all for the love and support we have received. We are truly humbled at this heartbreaking time,” her brother wrote on Facebook.
The crash occurred around 2pm local time (4am GMT) in Main Beach, in front of hundreds of beach-goers who had been enjoying a public holiday.
One of the helicopters was able to safely land on the sandbank but the other helicopter crashed, killing four of those inside, and leaving a further three critically injured.
Police said the other victims included the 40-year-old experienced pilot Ashley Jenkinson and a 36-year-old woman from the neighbouring state of New South Wales.
Speaking to ITV News Central, Ritchie Gregg, who has known Ash for 10 years said: "He was always out there, always out there, wanting to help. He had a platform of a helicopter and he always used it.
"He's always been a community man, loved kids and just had one of his own 14 months ago, Kayden. He was excited to be a dad.
"He was definitely at his peak and very well known in the community, especially if you're on the Gold Coast."
A 10-year-old boy suffered critical injuries in the incident while a 33-year-old woman and a nine-year-old boy suffered serious injuries.
Six other people are being treated for more minor injuries.
A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said in a statement: “We are supporting the family of two British nationals who died in Australia and are in contact with the local authorities.”
Police have said that “initial investigations” indicate that the collision occurred when one helicopter was taking off and the other was landing.
The wreckage was towed away on Tuesday morning so that investigators could begin to understand exactly how the tragedy unfolded.
Australian Transport Safety Bureau Angus Mitchell said it was "remarkable" that there were not more fatalities.
"Whilst it has been very tragic that four people have lost their lives and many families are mourning this morning," Mr Mitchell said.
"We could have had a far worse situation here and the fact that one helicopter managed to land is quite remarkable."
Investigators believe that the main rotor blade of the helicopter taking off collided with the front cockpit of the descending helicopter on the left-hand side.
"The helicopter taking off was in the air for less than 20 seconds and after the collision, it was a matter of seconds before it’s hit the ground," Mr Mitchell said.
"So it has unfolded very quickly. But from the footage that we’ve seen and from the damage that we can witness on there, we do know that the second helicopter has landed on the sandbar.
“That has obviously led to a stage where we aren’t seeing more fatalities here than what we could have."
The UK foreign office has confirmed it is supporting the families of Diane and Ron Hughes.
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