Key Takeaways
- A 13-year-old boy, Nicholas Tadros, who lost his mother and leg in a helicopter collision, attended an inquest into the tragic air disaster.
- The incident occurred on January 2, 2023, when two Sea World helicopters collided, resulting in four deaths and nine injuries.
- The inquest, which began last week, has been delayed due to a request by Sea World Helicopters to postpone the testimony of key witnesses until February 2026.
- The coroner rejected the application, citing unnecessary costs and the need to conclude the proceedings as planned.
- The inquest will continue next week, with Sea World Helicopters executives set to give evidence during the final days of the proceedings.
Introduction to the Tragedy
The tragic story of Nicholas Tadros, a 13-year-old boy who lost his mother and leg in a helicopter collision, has captured the attention of many. On January 2, 2023, Nicholas and his mother, Vanessa, boarded a helicopter for a five-minute joy flight around the Gold Coast’s Sea World. However, their trip ended abruptly 25 seconds after take-off when their aircraft hit another Sea World chopper that was preparing to land near the theme park. The incident resulted in the deaths of four people, including Nicholas’ mother, and injured nine others, including Nicholas, who had to have a leg amputated.
The Inquest
Almost three years after the tragic incident, Nicholas attended the inquest into the air disaster for the first time. The inquest, which began last week, aims to investigate the circumstances surrounding the collision and identify the cause of the tragedy. Nicholas’ father, Simon, has been present every day since the inquest began, but on Monday, he accompanied his son, who uses a prosthetic limb. However, after their arrival, Nicholas learned that the testimony of key witnesses would be delayed. Sea World Helicopters chief executive Brett Newman and director John Orr-Campbell were due to give evidence on Monday, but the company’s barrister, Michael Trim, sought to have the two executives give evidence in February 2026.
The Delayed Testimony
The application to delay the testimony was met with opposition from counsel assisting Ian Harvey, who argued that most of the key material had been available for months. Harvey stated that there was no submission at this stage of a potential adversarial finding in respect of any Sea World Helicopters witness and that any parties facing a potential adverse finding would be able to respond at a later date. The Tadros family’s barrister, Gerard Mullins, did not oppose the application. However, Coroner Carol Lee rejected the application, citing that it was "not necessary" and would be costly to the taxpayer, upsetting to victims of the crash and their families.
The Coroner’s Decision
Coroner Lee stated that Sea World Helicopters had a six-month period to provide expert evidence in response to criticisms contained in the Australian Transport Safety Bureau report. Lee also noted that at least one witness had flown in from the UK and would have to return home by Friday. The coroner emphasized that the families of the four deceased persons had been waiting patiently for the proceedings to conclude and had a legitimate expectation that the proceedings would conclude as planned. As a result, Sea World Helicopters executives will give evidence next week during the final days of the inquest.
The Background
Sea World Helicopters had a 10-year agreement to run Sea World’s joy flights after taking over the Gold Coast attraction’s helipad from Village Roadshow Theme Parks in 2019. The company’s operations and safety procedures have been under scrutiny since the tragic incident. The inquest aims to provide answers to the families of the victims and the community about what went wrong and how such a tragedy can be prevented in the future. The proceedings will continue next week, and it is expected that the coroner will make findings and recommendations to improve aviation safety in Australia.
