British couple and pilot killed in Sifnos helicopter crash

A newlywed British couple and a Greek pilot have died after a private helicopter crashed near the helipad on the Greek island of Sifnos on Monday evening.

The helicopter had reportedly been chartered from Markopoulo, in Attica, and was carrying the couple to Sifnos during their honeymoon. It crashed shortly after 6pm as it approached the island’s helipad and subsequently caught fire.

Greek authorities said the emergency services were notified at 6:17pm. Firefighters attended the scene to extinguish the blaze, while a rescue team travelled from neighbouring Syros by boat. Three bodies were recovered.

Witnesses reportedly heard a loud noise shortly before the crash. Weather conditions were calm at the time, and authorities have not yet confirmed what caused the accident. The helicopter was registered in Greece.

The incident underlines the need for policies to cover emergency medical assistance, evacuation, and repatriation, as serious accidents on Greek islands may require patients to be transferred to larger hospitals on other islands or the mainland.