Newlywed British couple among three killed in helicopter crash on Sifnos

A helicopter crashed near the heliport on the Greek island of Sifnos on August 17, 2026, killing all three people on board. The victims were a British couple on their honeymoon.

They were identified as Alexander Cromie, a vice president at Blackstone's private wealth solutions business, and his wife Marie Ebert, a senior specialist at Bain & Company. The pilot, Giorgos Raikos, a former Greek military officer, also died.

The aircraft, a Bell 206 operated by Greek charter firm Bellavia Aviation Services, had left Markopoulo near Athens bound for Sifnos, an island roughly 150 miles southeast of the capital in the Cyclades. It went down on a hillside in the Tholos area at around 18:15 local time, close to its destination.

The crash set off a fire that destroyed much of the helicopter. Greece's fire service said crews recovered all three bodies from the site.

Footage recorded near the heliport reportedly shows the helicopter descending while rotating before it disappeared behind buildings, followed by a fireball and a plume of black smoke. Residents told reporters they heard an unusual noise from the aircraft shortly before it went down.

No cause has been established, and investigators have not confirmed whether a mechanical failure was involved. Greece's Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport said the National Organisation for the Investigation of Air and Railway Accidents and Transport Safety is leading the inquiry.

A Bain & Company spokesperson said the firm was shocked by the accident and offered condolences to the families affected.