British newlyweds killed in helicopter crash while on their honeymoon have been named

Tributes have been paid to a 'beloved' man who died alongside his wife in a tragic helicopter crash while they were celebrating their honeymoon together in Greece.

Alex Cromie and his wife Marie Ebert, as well as their pilot Giorgos Raikos, were all killed when the private helicopter crashed and sparked a major fire in the Tholos area of Aegean island Sifnos.

Horror footage online showed the helicopter rotating in the air before rapidly losing altitude and plummeting to the ground. Other pictures show plumes of smoke billowing over the area.

Emergency services raced to the scene, but the occupants of the aircraft could not be saved, it was reported.

The incident caused a major fire (X)

In a statement issued to the Press Association, a spokesperson for asset management firm Blackstone, where 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.”

According to his LinkedIn profile, Cromie worked at Blackstone for four years, first as an associate in private wealth solutions before being made a vice president last January.

Alex Cromie (Facebook)

The National Organisation for the Investigation of Air and Railway Accidents and Transport Safety is now investigating the incident, according to the Greek Ministry of Transport.

An officer on the case based with Athens Police said in a statement: "The crash came minutes before the scheduled 6.15pm landing. The helicopter was scheduled to leave 25 minutes later."

The Greek Fire Service said the helicopter came down near to residential homes in the Tholos region, part of the Cyclades island group, where it then erupted into flames.

The deputy mayor of Sifnos, Manolis Fountoulakis, told local media it is believed the crash was as a result of a failure. He said: "It experienced mechanical failure in the air; residents say it made a loud, strange noise, like military aircraft.”

A Foreign Office spokesperson told the Times: “We are in contact with the local authorities and are urgently seeking further information. Our staff stand ready to provide consular support to those affected.”

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has been contacted for further comment by LADbible.