SNELLVILLE, Ga. — A bride and groom leaving their wedding were among those on board a helicopter that crashed Friday night in Dawson County.
Dave Fiji, 25, was killed when the Robinson R-66 helicopter crashed in a remote wooded area of Dawson County near Mount Vernon Drive.
The pilot, whose name has not been released, was also killed.
“He was a precious child, he was a gift from God for us,” said Fiji George, the father. “He was God-fearing child. So handsome, beautiful.”
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He said his vows Friday to his bride, Jessni, who he met at New Testament Church a decade ago.
Their wedding took place at The Revere, a wedding and special events venue near Dawsonville, and it had hundreds of guests.
“We could say it was the perfect wedding,” he said. “We couldn’t ask for anything more.”
“Both of them told us they could sense the presence of God at the altar, a tangible presence of God,” said Pheba Fiji, the groom’s mother. “There was a special glow and glory over his face that we couldn’t explain. And it was not just us who noticed.”
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The two were to leave the venue in a helicopter and fly to Peachtree-DeKalb airport, then spend the night in a downtown Atlanta hotel. George said the wedding reception wrapped up around 9:30, and the weather had turned foggy and rainy. He said his son, who was a pilot for Delta, expressed concern about the limited visibility.
“He said I wouldn’t fly, we would not fly in this visibility,” George said.
But the pilot was given clearance to fly at a higher altitude, he said, and the helicopter launched. A short time later, it crashed in a densely wooded and mountainous area southwest of Dawsonville. George said Jessni was trapped under the wreckage and trees for five hours before she was rescued. She knew her new husband was gone.
“She said when she woke up, she was under the rubble,” he said. “She woke up and saw him lying on her chest. She herself is a nurse. When she touched him, she called out to him. He was already cold.”
Jessni was sent to Northeast Georgia Medical Center, and Fiji’s parents expect her to be released in the next day or two. They said she suffered extensive cuts and bruises, but she did not break any bones.
“She’s devastated,” George said.
The helicopter belonged to Prestige Helicopters, which operates out of Peachtree-DeKalb Airport. It has been in business since 1985 and provides chartered flights for several wedding venues in north Georgia. The name of the pilot has not been released.
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into the cause of the crash and will determine if the weather contributed to it.
After such a devastating loss, the family is holding firm to their Christian faith for strength and comfort. The parents of Dave Fiji said he lived a life of purpose and grace, and his bride adored him for it.
“She always says there could never be a man who could preserve himself like David did,” Pheba Fiji said. “He was kind, he was gentle, he was selfless. Those were her words. We have the confidence that God perfected the work that he started in his life.”
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