Tributes paid to 'beloved' British newlywed who died alongside his wife in helicopter crash on Greek honeymoon
Alex Cromie and his wife Marie Ebert, as well as their pilot Giorgos Raikos were killed when the private helicopter crashed on the Aegean island of Sifnos.
Tributes have been paid to a “beloved” man who died alongside his wife in a helicopter crash while they were celebrating their honeymoon in Greece.
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Alex Cromie and his wife Marie Ebert, as well as their pilot Giorgos Raikos were killed when the private helicopter crashed and sparked a fire in the Tholos area of Aegean island Sifnos.
In a statement, a spokesperson for asset management firm Blackstone, where Mr Cromie worked as a vice president in private wealth solutions, 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.”
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According to his LinkedIn profile, Mr Cromie worked at Blackstone for four years, first as associate in private wealth solutions before being made a vice president last January.
Dramatic images showed thick black smoke billowing from the crash site as firefighters battled the blaze.
The small private helicopter, a private Bell 206, is said to have exploded and gone up in a huge fireball upon impact.
The deputy mayor of Sifnos, Manolis Fountoulakis, told local media: "It experienced mechanical failure in the air; residents say it made a loud, strange noise, like military aircraft."
No homes were hit during the incident on the island, which has a permanent population of around 2,600 people and has become a tourist hotspot.
Manolis Fountoulakis, Sifnos' deputy mayor, said residents had reported hearing a “loud, strange noise” before the crash, adding that the helicopter was believed to have suffered a mechanical failure in the air.
The cause has not been confirmed and an investigation is under way.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has been contacted for comment.