New York: Two Indian-origin persons, including a newlywed groom, have tragically died in a helicopter crash in Georgia, according to media reports.
Dave Fiji and his bride Jesni had boarded a Robinson R66 helicopter, piloted by Nikhil Nargundkar, bound for DeKalb-Peachtree Airport after the couple’s wedding Friday evening, a report in wrdw.com news portal said.
However, shortly after take-off, the helicopter crashed amid bad weather.
Dave, 26, and Nargundkar died in the crash near the Dawsonville wedding venue. Jesni, 25, survived the crash and is currently undergoing treatment at a local Atlanta hospital.
A report in Atlanta News First identified the pilot of the helicopter as Nargundkar.
It is understood that the newly-married couple was of Indian origin, with their parents hailing from Kerala. Dave was also a pilot for commercial airline Delta, Atlanta News First said.
The wrdw.com report said that about 400 guests had attended the couple’s wedding Friday night at The Revere in Dawsonville.
Following the wedding celebration, Dave and Jesni boarded the helicopter bound for DeKalb-Peachtree Airport. The flight was intended as a “special sendoff” before the newlyweds spent the night at a downtown Atlanta hotel. However, soon after take-off, the helicopter crashed in a heavily wooded area near the wedding venue.
According to Atlanta News First, the aircraft went down on a 10,000-acre tract owned by the City of Atlanta.
“My son was so happy,” Dave’s father, George Fiji, said. “It took them a while to locate the helicopter itself,” George said, adding that Jesni “remained trapped in the wreckage for nearly six hours before rescuers found her.”
“She said when she woke up, she saw my son Dave resting on her bosom,” George said. “She saw blood on him, and by then his body was completely cold. She’s a nurse, so she knew he was gone.”
Jesni, who suffered cuts and bruises but no broken bones, is recovering but is devastated following the tragedy.
Dave had expressed concern over the flight since the weather and visibility in the area had worsened due to the rain.
“Since my son was a pilot, he told the pilot that there is zero visibility, and when there is zero visibility like this, we never fly,” George said.
According to George, Jesni later told him the pilot said they would fly at a higher altitude.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash and has not yet determined what caused the helicopter to go down.
“God granted us a perfect wedding, and within a few hours, everything changed into tragedy. The only place we can find answers and peace is in God,” George said.
“I was just standing there watching my son and admiring him,” George said of the wedding. “He looked so handsome.”
The report added that the young couple had met through church connections between South Carolina and Georgia.
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