Gold Coast helicopter crash: Former partner, friends pay tribute to Sea World pilot Ash Jenkinson
The former partner of pilot Ash Jenkinson, who was among four people killed in a helicopter crash on the Gold Coast on Monday, has written a beautiful tribute thanking him for changing her life.
Mr Jenkinson lost his life when two scenic helicopters operated by Sea World Helicopters, where he was chief pilot, collided in the air at about 2pm on Monday, leaving three passengers dead and three in a critical condition.
Gold Coast yoga instructor Linda Doktar said she was in disbelief, devastated and shattered in an emotional Facebook post.
Ms Doktar said her heart goes out to Mr Jenkinson’s parents, wife Kosha and son Kayden.
“Thank you for blessing my life with your presence as my partner 2016/2017,” she wrote.
“You are the reason I relocated from Brisbane to Gold Coast and began a brand new life here. Thank you for showing me the way.
“And I am so proud of you for following your passion of flying helicopters.
“I will never forget the day you rang me to ask if I can be ready in 20 minutes as you would pick me up in your chopper and fly me to Sunshine Coast and back.
“To a well respected and well-known Gold Coast pilot, son, father, partner and friend. You will be deeply missed. I love you.”
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Another tribute from a close friend, Nathaniel, said Mr Jenkinson was his hero.
“I’m really going to miss you calling past on your way home from work in your uniform looking like Tom Cruise to have a cold beer or scotch and always making sure you were never too late home for your beautiful woman,” he wrote.
“You were the first person to pull me up when I was wrong and reminded me to never be anything less than a gentleman!”
Nathaniel called out the work of his mate in “rescuing people during the floods and fighting the fires”.
“You were such a selfless person and the epitome of what a man is,” he said.
“Always offering a helping hand whether that be the floods, the fires or just helping out your mates, nothing was ever too hard and never expecting anything back in return.”
Another friend, Kristy, who previously lived with Mr Jenkinson, said he was “the most kind-hearted and selfless man to walk the earth”.
“Trying to put into words how much of an impact Ash Jenkinson has had on my life and everyone who had the pleasure of meeting him is almost impossible,” she wrote.
Victims of the Gold Coast helicopter crash
Sydney mother Vanessa Tadros, 36, and British newlyweds Ron, 65, and Diane Hughes, 57, were also tragically killed in the crash.
Ms Tadros’ young son Nicholas survived the crash but is fighting for his life in hospital.
Winnie de Silva, 33, and her nine-year-old son Leon from Geelong in Victoria were also taken to hospital in a critical condition, where they remain.
Ms de Silva’s husband Neil watched on as a the tragedy unfolded.
“Winnie and Leon’s helicopter took off, it only went about 200m in the air,” he told the Herald Sun.
“I could see the other helicopter that was due to land … it looked like they were going to crash into one another.
“As it got closer, I was thinking, ‘This is crazy, this looks really bad,’ and I just went numb.”
He told the Melbourne newspaper he waited two hours to find out that his wife and stepson had survived.
Ms de Silva was reported to have two broken legs, a damaged left knee, a broken right shoulder and a broken collarbone, while Leon remains in a coma with facial and head injuries, a cracked skull and severe trauma to the brain.
Surviving pilot praised
The pilot at the controls of the second helicopter involved in a horrific crash has been praised for the quick thinking that likely saved the lives of his passengers.
The Sea World pilot has been identified as 52-year-old Michael James.
Six passengers on board his helicopter were treated for minor injuries and have since been discharged from hospital.
Mr James is recovering from surgery and is yet to comment on the harrowing experience.
Aviation expert Geoff Thomas said the pilot’s actions were lifesaving as he performed “an extraordinary feat of airmanship”.
“It’s just amazing, it’s an incredible feat to do that given the level of damage and that he would have been hurt with glass and perspex everywhere,” he told the Gold Coast Bulletin.
“It was an extraordinary feat of airmanship and he saved lives, there is no doubt about it.
“When I looked at the images, I was astonished at the damage and that he was able to land it at all.
“We could have had a far worse situation here.”
The expert suggested the collision between the two helicopters had occurred because they were in each other’s blind spot.
“People do not appreciate that, when looking down, you can’t see a helicopter up from the surroundings. My sense is that was a factor given both pilots were highly regarded and highly experienced. It may have been a blind spot situation. It is just a terrible tragedy.”
Australian Transport Safety Bureau chief commissioner Angus Mitchell also praised Michael James as a lifesaver.
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“It was a remarkable job considering the damage that was done to the front left-hand part of the aircraft where the pilot was sitting,” he said on Tuesday.
“We could have had a far worse situation here.
“What we do need to know now is, what was occurring inside those cockpits.”
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