News by email Donate

Suggestions

Top Stories

Most Read

Popular Videos

Stuart-Hill-and-Jason-Hill-Grand-Canyon-helicoptor-victims-main_article_image.jpg
PA
UK News

Remains of West Sussex vicar's sons misidentified after helicopter crash

The document said the remains of Stuart Hill were mistakenly identified as those of his brother Jason, before DNA testing detected the error.

Stuart, 30, and Jason, 32, were among five Britons who lost their lives when an Airbus EC130 B4 plummeted into a fireball on 10th February 2018.

Their father, Rev David Hill, a hospital chaplain and former Baptist church leader, described them as "incredibly close" and "always happy".

A report by the Mohave County medical examiner's office concluded both the young men suffered burns to 100 per cent of their body, meaning neither was "identifiable by physical features".

Originally from the seaside town of Worthing, the brothers were on holiday in the United States to celebrate Stuart Hill's 30th birthday.

Teddy Fujimoto via AP

Stuart's 27-year-old girlfriend, Becky Dobson, also died in the incident, as did newlyweds Ellie Milward, from West Sussex, and Jonathan Udall, who originally came from Southampton.

Mr Udall's parents are suing the tour operator Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters in a wrongful death lawsuit. They are also suing the aircraft's pilot, who survived the crash, accusing him of negligence.

Jonathan Udall's parents also claim that fewer people would have died if a crash-resistant fuel tank had been installed. Airbus Helicopters has said more of its aircraft are being built with the devices.

Stay up to date with the latest news stories from a Christian perspective. Sign up to our daily newsletter and receive more stories like this straight to your inbox every morning.

A Monthly Gift Of $11 Makes A World Of Difference

In a world of fake news there’s never been a greater need for quality Christian journalism. Premier’s mission is to provide the Church with the most up to date and relevant news, told from a Christian perspective. But we can’t do it without you.

Unlike many websites we haven't put up a paywall — we want to keep our journalism free at the point of need and as open as we can. Premier’s news output takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. No one in the USA is sharing news like we are across radio, magazines and online so please help us to continue that today.

For a monthly gift of $11 or more we’d also be able to send you a free copy of the brand new Premier Bible, a wonderful Anglicised version of the NLT packed with exclusive bonus content, reading plan and resources to help you get the most out of scripture.

Your monthly support will make a world of difference. Thank you.

Support Us
Continue the conversation on our Facebook page

Related Articles

Sign up to our newsletter to stay informed with news from a Christian perspective.

News by email

Connect

Donate

Donate