The British newlywed couple who died in a helicopter crash during their honeymoon in Greece have been named as Alex Cromie and Marie Ebert. Their employer, asset management firm Blackstone, confirmed the deaths in a statement.
Alex Cromie, a vice president in private wealth solutions at Blackstone, and his wife Marie Ebert were killed alongside their pilot, Giorgos Raikos, when their private helicopter crashed and caught fire in the Tholos area of the Aegean island of Sifnos.
Blackstone pays tribute to 'beloved' colleague
In a statement issued to the Press Association, a Blackstone spokesperson 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 had worked at Blackstone for four years, first as an associate in private wealth solutions before being promoted to vice president in January. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has been contacted for comment.
Crash details and investigation
Footage shows the helicopter spinning wildly out of control before crashing, with a huge fireball erupting at the crash site. The incident occurred at around 6.15pm local time on Monday as the aircraft attempted to land on a helipad. A fire engine rushed to the scene but could not save the three people on board.
Greek pilot Giorgos Raikos, 55, had been hired just two months before the crash, local media reported. The former military pilot was described as “very experienced” by a police source.
The exact cause of the crash is under investigation. Locals told police they heard a “strange noise” as the helicopter flew overhead. 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, as the helicopter crashed very close to its intended landing location.
