Father of British Teen Killed in Greek Parasailing Tragedy Vows to Continue Justice Fight
The father of a British schoolgirl who died alongside her cousin in a devastating holiday parasailing accident has made a fresh vow to continue his fight for justice, following the conviction and sentencing of the boat operator responsible for the tragedy.
Four-Year Sentence Handed Down
Tony Hayes, 43, from Corby, Northamptonshire, described the conviction of watersports operator Nikos Mallios as "a positive step in the right direction" after the 57-year-old Greek national was found guilty of breaching health and safety regulations that led to the deaths of Jessica Hayes, 15, and her cousin Mikey Connelly, 13.
The tragic incident occurred in October 2020 when Mallios took the three teenagers - including Mikey's elder brother James, then 15 - out to sea in his speedboat despite approaching storm conditions near Lindos on the Greek island of Rhodes.
Catastrophic Chain of Events
A three-member panel at the Misdemeanour Court of Rhodes heard how the rope connecting the parasail to Mallios' speedboat "detached" during the excursion. Witnesses described seeing the vessel pursue the drifting parasail as it descended toward the water, with hopes of rescuing the teenagers from the sea.
However, a sudden "gust of wind" caught the parasail and sent Jessica, Mikey and James crashing into rocks at Cape Ginas, approximately 5km from their departure point at Lardos Bay. James miraculously survived the impact but remained in a coma for two weeks following the accident.
Operator's Temporary Release and Pending Charges
Mallios was convicted yesterday and sentenced to four years in prison for his role in the tragedy, though he was temporarily freed after signaling his intention to appeal the verdict. The boat operator faces even more serious charges in October when he appears at a higher court in Kos, where he will answer to allegations of manslaughter by serial negligence and grievous bodily harm by serial negligence.
During the trial, Mallios offered an apology to the families, stating: "I want to say sorry to the families." However, he rejected any wrongdoing and attempted to justify breaching multiple safety regulations, including prohibitions against triple-seat parasailing, taking children under 14 on such excursions, operating in poor weather conditions, and venturing outside designated watersports zones.
Father's Emotional Response and Continued Fight
Tony Hayes, who traveled 1,800 miles to Rhodes this week to seek justice for his daughter, welcomed the initial conviction but vowed to continue his fight for a longer sentence. "It's the first step on the journey to justice," he stated. "It's a positive step in the right direction, one that Jess and Mikey will look down on and be proud. I am happy that a long sentence was given. However, the fight will continue and the next step is to take this to the higher court and make that sentence even longer."
The grieving father added with heartbreaking honesty: "But doesn't take away the loss. It doesn't change the fact that Jess is not here. It doesn't change the fact that Mikey is not here. It doesn't change the fact that our lives have been ruined."
Tragic Holiday Memories
The Hayes and Connelly families were vacationing together in Rhodes in October 2020 for a surprise 65th birthday celebration for Tony's father-in-law, Phil. In the days leading up to the accident, the teenagers had enjoyed games and watched bands at their hotel, with Jessica telling her parents the day before her death that it was "the best holiday she'd ever had."
On October 28, the three cousins booked Mallios' boat after spotting parasailing rides advertised on a board in their hotel. The family bid farewell at 12:30pm on the beach outside their accommodation, tragically never seeing the teenagers alive again.
Witness Testimonies Reveal Safety Concerns
Multiple witnesses testified about concerning safety practices in the days leading up to the tragedy. One British holidaymaker who had been airborne just moments before the fatal incident described feeling "relieved" when the parasail carrying the three teenagers began drifting down toward the water, believing they could be rescued.
She became tearful as she recounted to the court how the situation suddenly deteriorated: "We were speeding towards the children, for about two or three minutes. It had started drifting down and it landed in the water. We were relieved and thought we would be able to pull them aboard. But then a gust of wind caught the parasail and dragged it back up."
Another witness testified that his three children - aged just 12, nine, and seven - had been taken on a parasailing trip in the days before the tragedy, with operators repeatedly telling him that "it was the close of the season and storm was coming" and that "if we wanted to do any watersports you needed to do it soon because it was about to close."
Continued Operations Despite Investigation
Shockingly, despite being under criminal investigation for the deaths, Mallios was able to continue operating from the same location where he collected Jessica, Mikey and James. In 2022, exclusive photographs revealed he was still ferrying boatloads of thrillseekers on 75 Euro parasailing trips, using a neon yellow speedboat with the word "parasailing" emblazoned on the hull.
Family's Ongoing Trauma and Quest for Closure
This week, Tony Hayes visited the spot where Jessica lost her life for the first time since the tragedy, returning to the same beach where he waved his daughter off with the words: "We love you." In an emotional interview, he explained: "I never want anyone to have to experience anything as traumatic as this. Losing a child is the worst thing that can happen. I need to come back to re-live some parts of it so I can process it."
The family's Greek lawyer, George Moschos, commented on the significance of the sentence, stating: "The sentence reflects the scale and seriousness of Mallios' failings." However, for Tony Hayes and the Connelly family, the legal proceedings represent only part of their ongoing journey toward justice and healing after an unimaginable loss that has forever changed their lives.
