EIGHTEEN more Cypriots killed in the Helios crash on August 14 were buried yesterday, including flight steward Andreas Prodormou, whom it is believed made a last desperate attempt to save the doomed airliner.
The remains of 50 of the 121 passengers and crew were flown into Cyprus just before midnight on Thursday on two Greek C-130s after being identified through DNA testing. The planes were met by Health Minister Andreas Gavrielides and a convoy of ambulances, along with a team of psychologists to counsel the relatives.
A religious service was also held at the airport.
Prodromou, who held a private pilot’s licence, was on the flight with his girlfriend Haris Charalambous, also a Helios flight attendant. The funeral took place at the Ayios Georgios church in Latsia late yesterday afternoon.
According to the preliminary report in to the crash an exhausted-sounding man, tried to send a last-minute distress call, which never got out. Investigators believe the man was Prodormou.
Greek newspaper Haravghi said yesterday the fatal flight was the first time Prodromou had actually flown on the Boeing 737-300. He was officially part of a crew from one of the other Helios aircrafts, his uncle told the newspaper. He said his nephew used to dream that he would one day be a commercial pilot.
Also buried yesterday were Demos and Margarita Xiourouppa aged 39 and 34 respectively and their two daughters Sophia, 10, and Joanna, nine. They leave behind a two-year old boy George who is now an orphan.
The family, who lived in Australia, were visiting relatives in Paralmini, and left their youngest at home with his grandparents because he had a fever. Reports said that Demos didn’t actually want to go on the trip but his daughters begged him.
Greek investigators are in the last stages of identifying the remaining three bodies, one of whom they believe is the German pilot, Hans-Juergen Merten, 58, whose 26-year old daughter gave DNA when she visited the crash site in Greece with her mother.
The pilot’s wife and daughter, who are said to be distraught at the allegations hinted at Merten in the media in Cyprus and Greece, also visited the island last week.
The remains of three other people from the Helios passenger list have not been recovered.
