Dad, 57, killed during paradise Greek holiday
A FAMILY is mourning a fatherof-three who died when a boat ride during a Greek island paradise holiday went tragically wrong.
Simon Crewe was one of three passengers on an inflatable “sofa dinghy”, being pulled by a speedboat off a Kefalonian beach when a “massive bang” was heard.
His brother, David, who was also on the inflatable, was struck on the head by an unidentified object.
The third person on the inflatable, a friend who was on holiday with them, was projected into the air and landed in the sea, where he lay unconscious. He is still in hospital in Greece with internal injuries.
As David tried to help his unconscious friend, he turned to his brother and saw to his shock that the 57-year-old, from Whetstone near Blaby, had collapsed.
Simon’s partner, Vicki Hewitt, 49, who was travelling in the speed boat, watched in horror as the driver carried out emergency first aid to try to revive him.
Greek police are investigating but at the moment the cause of the incident - which happened last Tuesday off Costa Costa beach, in Lassi - is a mystery.
Tributes to Simon, a carpenter, have described him as “full of fun” with a “larger than life” character.
He had been on the Ionian island for six days, enjoying “the most fantastic holiday ever” with Vicki, David, of Leicester, and three others when the tragedy happened.
It was the final day of their holiday.
Vicki, Simon’s partner of three years, said: “I can’t believe he has gone. He was the very best of men.”
Simon’s heartbroken brother, David, said: “Simon had his heart set on having a go on the inflatable yellow sofa we’d seen being pulled out by speedboat - a bit like the banana boat rides.
“He loved fun and we’d had a brilliant week’s holiday. It was the last day and about 5pm, so me and the two other men from our party of six agreed and got on the sofa.”
The ride seated eight, but only the three men were on it.
David said: “Two of our partners, including his partner Vicki, got into the speedboat with the driver, facing us so they could see us being towed behind.
“The ride had begun and there was a massive bang.
“Something hit my head. I thought we must have hit a wave.
“Our friend was thrown into the sea and disappeared completely.
“I turned to Simon and - I don’t know what had happened, but I watched him die.”
Back on shore, taking a video of their ride was David’s partner. Her video is now with Greek police authorities investigating the incident.
Vicki flew back home to Whetstone on Wednesday, the day after their ordeal, after the whole party had been interviewed by police trying to piece together what happened.
She had to leave behind Simon’s body, which remains with the Greek Coroner’s Office while an inquest is carried out.
The family expects it to be at least 14 days before his body is released.
Vicki said: “There may have to be another inquest here, depending on the outcome from the Greek coroner.”
She said she was keen to point out that, contrary to claims on Greek social media and in Greek newspapers that there were two operatives on the boat, there was only one.
David and Vicki were spoken to at length by Greek police after the tragedy, as they tried to piece together what happened.
The owner of the speedboat company was taken in for questioning by the police.
A Foreign & Commonwealth Office spokesperson said: “Our staff have offered advice to the partner of a British man who has died in Greece.
“We remain in contact with the Greek authorities.”