The British newlywed couple who died in a horror helicopter crash during their honeymoon have been named as Alex Cromie and Marie Ebert by asset management firm Blackstone, where Alex worked
Tributes have been paid to “beloved” Brit newlyweds who died in a helicopter crash while they were celebrating their honeymoon in Greece as they are pictured for the first time.
Alex Cromie and his wife Marie Ebert were killed alongside their pilot Giorgos Raikos when their private helicopter crashed and sparked a fire in the Tholos area of Aegean island Sifnos.
In a statement issued to the Press Association, a spokesperson for asset management firm Blackstone, where Mr Cromie worked as a vice president in private wealth solutions, said: “We are shocked by the tragic passing of three people including our colleague Alex Cromie and his wife Marie Ebert, who were celebrating their honeymoon.
“Alex was beloved by everyone who knew and worked with him at Blackstone, and our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones.”
According to his LinkedIn profile, Mr Cromie worked at Blackstone for four years, first as associate in private wealth solutions before being made a vice president last January. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has been contacted for comment.
It comes as horrifying footage emerged of the helicopter carrying couple spins wildly out of control and crashes. The aircraft was seen hurtling towards the ground before a huge fireball erupted at the crash site.
The horror happened at around 6.15pm local time on Monday. A huge inferno erupted as the private aircraft attempted to land on a helipad. A fire engine raced to the scene to tackle the flames but sadly could not save the trio.
Greek pilot Giorgos Raikos, 55, had been hired just two months prior to the crash, local media reported. The former military pilot was described as “very experienced” by a police source.
The exact cause of the tragic crash is still under investigation – locals told police they heard a “strange noise” as the helicopter flew over their homes.
Deputy Mayor of Sifnos, Manolis Fountoulakis told ERTnews : “According to the testimonies of the residents of the area, they heard the noise of the helicopter, it was a strange noise.
“It probably had a mechanical failure in the air. This is because the propeller was doing something strange… it was making a very loud noise.”
Investigators are now attempting to reconstruct the flight path, after it was revealed the helicopter crashed very close to its correct landing location.