The wealthy young Britsh tourist who was killed in Mykonos when he walked into a helicopter's spinning rotor blade when using his phone has been publicly identified as former public schoolboy Jack Fenton.
Fenton, only 22-years-old, was struck when he walked behind the Bell 407 helicopter while its engines were still engaged at 6.20pm in Athens yesterday after flying back from the Cycladic Island of Mykonos with three friends.
According to local media, the Oxford Brookes student, who went to the £36,000-a-year Sutton Valence boarding school in Maidstone, Kent, was taking a selfie when he was hit by the high-speed rotor in the head.
Emergency services were called to the private heliport on the outskirts of the Greek capital but the victim is thought to have been killed instantly.
Investigators are probing the circumstances of the accident but the pilot could face manslaughter charges if he told the passengers to exit the helicopter before the engine and propellers had stopped.
The Oxford Brookes university student, who went to the £36,000-a-year Sutton Valence boarding school in Maidstone, Kent, reportedly walked behind the Bell 407 helicopter while its engines were still engaged
Emergency services are pictured last night at the scene of the incident involving a man who died when a rear helicopter propeller hit him in Spata, near Athens, Greece.
The pilot of the second helicopter chose to divert from the private airport in Spata and instead made an unscheduled landing at Athens International Airport to prevent Mr Fenton's parents witnessing the scene of the tragic accident.
The family had intended to disembark at the Superior Air helipad before being chauffeured to Eleftherios Venizelos airport where they would board the family's private jet for a return flight to the UK.
Jack Fenton's father, Miguel, is head of marketing, sales and PR at The Hop Farm, a 400-acre country park and visitor attraction in Beltring, near Tonbridge, Kent.
A spokesperson at the Hop Farm told MailOnline: 'This is a personal matter, nothing to do with the business and we have no comment.'
Until 1997 the farm was known as The Whitbread Hop Farm and was owned by the brewery and boasts the largest collection of oast houses in the world..
Police and aircraft investigators will focus on why Mr Fenton exited the aircraft while the rotors were still spinning.
The propellers tend to continue for around two minutes after the engine has been switched off, unless the pilot presses a button to stop them at around 50 seconds.
Pilots should thoroughly brief their passengers to stay inside until all movement has ceased, but the helicopter has no locks and no crew other than the pilot to shepherd the passengers.
The pilot and two airport officials have appeared before a prosecutor today, testifying over the potential charges of negligence.
Fenton's friends who are all in their twenties also gave statements before returning to the UK.
The President of the Union of Police Officers of Southeast Attica George Kaliakmanis told MailOnline: 'To my knowledge the type of helicopter Bell 407 doesn't lock from the inside.
'So now the investigation will focus on the safety measures taken from the pilot. Did he tell them to wait or not?
'There are two propellers on the helicopter. One that operates on 500 turns/second and one that operates at 2500 turns/second. These propellers run for about 2 minutes from the time he turns the engine off unless he presses a button which stops them at 50 seconds. Also keep in mind that the propellers are not visible because of the speed.'
Sources said the 115-mile trip in two helicopters would have cost more than £15,000.
READ MORE: Sultan of Salt closed down in Mykonos for tax violations.
This post was last modified on July 26, 2022 10:34 pm