British couple on honeymoon killed in helicopter crash on Greek island

On Monday, a tragic helicopter crash on the Greek island of Sifnos claimed the lives of a young British couple and their pilot. Alexander Cromie and Marie Ebert, who were on their honeymoon, were identified as the victims. The private helicopter, which had been rented by the couple, crashed just meters away from a designated landing pad.

The pilot was a Greek national. The couple had taken the helicopter from the village of Markopoulo near Athens to the popular holiday destination, as reported by Kathimerini. Greece’s aviation safety authority has launched an investigation into the crash, with its investigators expected to arrive at the scene on Tuesday to collect evidence and interview witnesses. The UK Foreign Office, Greek authorities and the aviation company have been contacted for comment.

The news of the crash deeply affected Cromie's employer, asset management firm Blackstone. In a statement, the company expressed their shock at the tragic loss of their colleague Alex Cromie and his wife Marie Ebert. They emphasized that Alex was beloved by everyone who had the pleasure of working with him at Blackstone. The company's thoughts and prayers were with the families of the victims.

A senior police official revealed that the crash occurred just before the helicopter's scheduled landing time of 18:15 local time (16:15 GMT). Sifnos' Deputy Mayor, Manolis Foundoulakis, arrived at the scene shortly after the incident and described the scene as almost entirely devoid of the aircraft. Locals reported seeing the helicopter crash within meters of their homes, and they had heard a bizarre engine noise coming from the aircraft as it approached the landing pad.

The deputy mayor mentioned that two of the victims were found in the wreckage, while the third was located a short distance away. Firefighters rushed to the crash site to combat a fire that broke out following the accident, which was extinguished by Monday evening.