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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Rachel Hagan

Friend of Brit, 22, killed by helicopter blades urges investigators to watch the CCTV

A family friend of the 22-year-old British tourist killed by helicopter blades in Greece has shared the horror of what happened after the accident as he urged police to watch the CCTV.

The Oxford Brookes student Jack Fenton died instantly when the rear rotor blade of the Bell 407 hit him in the head at the end of July while holidaying in Greece with family and friends.

Robin Stanton-Gleaves, the chairman of Bromley football club and the father of Mr Fenton's school friend, Jack Stanton-Gleaves, accompanied the boys on the trip.

He was on the second helicopter flight when he suddenly received a text from one of his sons, who was with Mr Fenton asking him to call him.

Jack Fenton, pictured with his dad, was killed in Greece by a helicopter blade (Facebook)

Greek aviation investigators said Mr Fenton had ignored safety instructions and claimed he was taking a selfie by the spinning blades which is what caused his death.

Their allegations have since been retracted and now there's now an ongoing inquiry by the Greek Aviation Authority into the 22-year-old's death.

"I was on the helicopter behind my son who rang me to tell me what had happened and when I got to site I saw the situation that was in front of me," Mr Stanton-Gleaves told Good Morning Britain.

He was killed when he walked into the rotor blade (Facebook)

Mr Stanton-Gleaves said what the Greek authorities said is not true and questioned why they made up that story in the first place.

He said he was keen for the truth to get out there and that the group were not escorted off the helicopter as they should have been

"They literally stepped off the helicopter. My son turned as he heard the sound and then he witnessed what he witnessed," he added.

"For whatever reason, Jack Fenton had turned another way stepping off the helicopter. The story that he was selfie-taking is all wrong. What we do know is that there was a CCTV camera and we can't fathom why nobody is looking at the camera."

Robin Stanton-Gleaves spoke on Good Morning Britain (GMB)

Mr Stanton-Gleaves said he cannot overstate how tragic it is, but it's even more disappointing and more upsetting for the family of Jack and his friends that the truth was twisted.

Jack's heartbroken mum Victoria has shared how the family has been left "completely devastated" after losing her "wonderful boy".

"He [Mr Fenton] went school with my oldest boy. He was one of his good friends. I coached low-level football with Jack in the team and He was a natural sportsman, a wonderful little footballer, a good rugby player, a good hockey player and just a naturally gifted lovely boy," Mr Stanton-Gleaves continued.

Marie Carmen Vaccaro grandmother of Jack Fenton and Miguel Fenton, Jack’s father (Miguel Fenton/Facebook)

According to Athens accident investigation chief Ioannis Kondylis, "all the regulations stipulated by the helicopter's manual were observed".

After his death, James Thomas, headmaster of Sutton Valence School, said: "Our school was very sad to hear the tragic news about Jack this morning.

"He was a very popular member of the community, and we have sent our condolences to the family.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by the incident."

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