Police officer breaks down as he recalls trying to save Leicester helicopter crash victims

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Police officer breaks down as he recalls trying to save Leicester helicopter crash victims
Author: mirrornews@mirror.co.uk (Martin Fricker)
Published: Jan, 14 2025 15:01

A hero police officer broke down in tears as he recalled trying to save the stricken victims of the Leicester City helicopter crash. Club owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, 60, was killed alongside pilots Eric Swaffer, 53, and Izabela Roza Lechowicz, 46, in October 2018. The Thai billionaire tycoon’s personal butler Kaveporn Punpare, 33, and assistant Nusara Suknamai, 32, also died in the tragedy.

They were killed when the helicopter spun out of control and burst into flames between two car parks at the King Power Stadium. It had taken off seconds earlier to take Mr Srivaddhanaprabha and his staff to London after the match against West Ham. Inquests into the five deaths began in Leicester on Monday - more than six years after the tragedy.

Leicestershire Police officer PC Stephen Quartermain told on Tuesday how he saw three victims still alive in the rear of the chopper. He said pilot Mr Swaffer, who flew with Prince William, also survived the initial crash and begged for help. PC Quartermain and colleague Sgt Mike Hooper tried to rescue the former EasyJet pilot from the stricken aircraft. They had been in a patrol car when the chopper plunged from the sky metres away from them.

Body-cam and dash-cam footage showed them desperately trying to break the cockpit windscreen to rescue the victims. But the hearing at Leicester City Hall was told the glass was designed to withstand an 180mph bird strike and could not be smashed. PC Quartermain told the hearing: "The aircraft was on fire. I got within two or three feet of it. The fire only took up a small portion at that time but seemed to be spreading quickly.

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