Australia helicopter crash, victim couple identified

• Diane Hughes, 57, and her husband Ron, 65, were from Neston, Cheshire.
• They married last year and were on vacation in Australia.
• Their pilot and another passenger were killed in the mid-air collision on Monday.

The names of the British people killed in a mid-air collision between two helicopters on Australia’s Gold Coast have been released.

Diane Hughes, 57, and her husband Ron, 65, were from Neston, Cheshire. They married last year and were on vacation, according to Queensland Police.

Their pilot and another passenger were killed in the collision on Monday, which occurred as one helicopter took off from a sandbar and the other was landing.

Three people, including two children, were seriously hurt and are being treated in a hospital.

In a statement to an Australian news agency, Mr Hughes’ daughter Jane Manns said:  “Our family is heartbroken and we are still trying to contact friends and family to let them know.

“Please respect our privacy at this devastating time.”

Mrs Hughes’ brother Dave Boyce thanked friends for their support in a public Facebook post, adding, “We are extremely humbled at this difficult time.”

Mr Hughes ran a home interiors business out of Neston on the Wirral peninsula, around 12 miles (18 kilometres) south-west of Liverpool.

Vanessa Tadros, 36, was also killed in the incident, according to Australian media, and her 10-year-old son was badly injured.

Ashley Jenkinson, a 40-year-old Sea World Helicopters pilot who resided nearby, was the fourth victim.

According to Ritchie Gregg, his friend was a  “silent hero and gentle giant” who “would have done everything to bring the helicopter down safely”.

He went on to say: “He was a great guy with a lot of expertise. He’s flown in all kinds of terrain and conditions, and we’re utterly taken aback.”

The cause of the crash, which occurred near the Sea World resort around 80 kilometres (50 miles) south-east of Brisbane, is unknown at this time.

Both helicopters were flying tourists for the resort.

Its owner, Village Roadshow Theme Parks, has expressed sympathy and stated that Sea World Helicopters operated independently.

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