Well-wishers have raised thousands for a newlywed couple who suffered horrific injuries and burns in a Grand Canyon helicopter crash which killed their three friends.
Jonathan Udall, 32, and 29-year-old Ellie Milward’s honeymoon sightseeing flight turned to tragedy when their helicopter plummeted into a ravine and burst into flames.
Others members of their party, brothers Jason and Stuart Hill and Stuart’s girlfriend Becky Dobson, 27 were killed while Jennifer Barham, 39, and pilot Scott Booth, 42, were airlifted hospital.
The couple had to wait more than eight hours for rescue crews who were unable to fly into the crash site.
Jonathan Udall, 32, and 29-year-old Ellie Milward’s honeymoon sightseeing flight turned to tragedy
The couple are pictured here on their wedding day alongside Stuart Hill, 30, and his girlfriend Becky Dobson, 27, who died in the crash
The newlywed couple face ‘a long hard road to recovery’, their family have said
Crews had to hike down rugged terrain to the remote spot using night vision goggles and bystanders helped treat the four survivors by torchlight.
Federal investigators are set to probe whether or not the helicopter should have taken off amid 50mph winds which hampered rescue attempts.
Yesterday it emerged relatives may have to wait 18 months to find out why the aircraft, which belonged to tour company Papillon Airways, fell to earth and exploded.
Mr Udall, an area manager for Yorkshire Building Society in Worthing, West Sussex, is in a critical condition in hospital in Las Vegas.
His sister Sarah Udall, 28, posted on Facebook: ‘It’s going to be a long hard road to recovery but they are strong.’
Friends have raised more than £13,000 hours after setting up a page on the charity donation site Just Giving to pay for medical care.
Mr Udall’s mother Marlene said she felt ‘so humbled at the love shown for Jon and Ellie’, who married in November.
The couple, from Worthing in West Sussex, are in a hospital in Las Vegas
Sarah Udall, Jonathan Udall’s sister, wrote on Facebook: My brother and his beautiful wife Ellie were injured in a helicopter accident in Las Vegas it’s going to be a long hard road to recovery but they are strong.’ His mother Marlene said she was ‘humbled’ by the support the family had received
Rescue crews trying to reach the survivors were hampered by high winds and darkness on Saturday night along with rugged terrain
Mrs Udall wrote on Facebook: ‘Feel so humbled at the love shown for Jon and Ellie , and all the support and kindness shown.
‘We hope to be with our lovely son and brother, and his lovely wife very soon.’
The couple’s friend Chris Tucker, who set up the page, wrote: ‘Our dearest friends Jon Udall and Ellie Milward have been involved in a tragic accident whilst honeymooning in Las Vegas.
‘They are both currently in critical condition and their parents are travelling out to be by their sides.
‘During this terrible time we want to try and do what we can to help all affected through this terrible situation.
‘We believe donating whatever we can will help relieve any unexpected financial stress and let all involved focus on the important thing, the speedy recovery of this lovely couple.’
Brothers Stuart, 30, (left) and Jason Hill, 32, (right) were killed in the helicopter crash
The couple are recovering hospital along with Jason Hill’s girlfriend Jennifer Barham, 39, a lawyer from Guildford, Surrey.
The Federal Aviation Administration says the sightseeing helicopter that crashed at the Grand Canyon wasn’t required to have a fuel system to prevent the aircraft from bursting into flames on impact.
According to Airbus, crash-resistant fuel systems are ‘not standard’ on the chopper, an EC130 B4.
Investigator Stephen Stein from the National Transportation Safety Board in America, said the wreckage included ‘evidence of a post-crash fire,’ adding: ‘The crash-resistant fuel system is a very important part of this investigation.’