<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A boy who tragically lost his mother and his leg in a helicopter collision has bravely attended an inquest into the horrific air disaster.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Nicholas Tadros was aged just 10 when he boarded what was supposed to be a five-minute helicopter joy flight around the Gold Coast's Sea World with his mum on January 2, 2023.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Instead their trip ended abruptly 25 seconds after take-off when their aircraft hit another Sea World chopper that was preparing to land near the theme park.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/worrying-number-of-australian-businesses-paying-ransoms-to-cybercriminals/0878b922-ffaa-4216-bab1-91c04d9061fc"><strong><span>Shocking truth as companies forced to reveal ransoms they've paid</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>His mother, Vanessa Tadros, 36, was among four people who died in what was considered one of Australia's worst air disasters.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Nine people were also injured, including Nicholas who was at one stage in a critical condition before having a leg amputated.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Almost three years later Nicholas arrived at the Coroners Court in Brisbane to attend the inquest into the tragedy for the first time.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/sea-world-helicopters-crash-inquest-brave-boy-who-lost-mum-leg-attends-chopper-crash-probe/27d7b4b0-e5dc-47f6-80d2-454d580d20c6" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Nicholas' father, Simon, had been present every day since the inquest began last week but on Monday accompanied his son, who now uses a prosthetic limb.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>After his arrival, Nicholas learned the testimony of key witnesses would be delayed.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Sea World Helicopters CEO Brett Newman and director John Orr-Campbell were due to give evidence on Monday about the crash that also killed pilot Ashley Jenkinson, 40, and British newlyweds Ronald and Diane Hughes - aged 65 and 67.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/victoria-accused-from-high-profile-family-denies-raping-woman/701be1cb-3f9b-4abd-b9ca-0b3994479daf"><strong><span>Man from high-profile family denies rape</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Instead the company's barrister, Michael Trim, sought to have the two executives give evidence in February 2026 after receiving nearly 5000 pages of new material since the inquest began.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The application proposed several experts from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau and Civil Aviation Safety Authority would also not give evidence until next year.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The issues being examined include the adequacy and appropriateness of my client's operations ... Those issues obviously have the potential to affect their interests," Trim said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"They should be entitled to a fair and proper opportunity to consider evidence."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Counsel assisting Ian Harvey opposed the application as most of the key material had been available for months.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"There's no submission at this stage of a potential adversarial finding in respect of any Sea World Helicopters witness," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Harvey said any parties facing a potential adverse finding would be able to respond at a later date.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/teen-falls-from-car-mornington-peninsula-st-andrews-beach-victoria/dac7dfc3-67d4-44d9-87c3-85993abaccfc" rel="" target="" title=""><strong><span>Teen charged after schoolies celebrations go horribly wrong</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Tadros family's barrister Gerard Mullins did not oppose the application.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Coroner Carol Lee rejected the application as "not necessary", costly to the taxpayer, upsetting to victims of the crash and their families.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Sea World Helicopters has had a six-month period to provide expert evidence, if it elected to do so, in response to criticisms contained in the Australian Transport Safety Bureau report," Lee said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Lee had heard at least one witness had flown in from the UK and would have to return home by Friday.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The families of the four deceased persons have been waiting patiently for these proceedings ... they have a legitimate expectation that these proceedings conclude as planned," Lee said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Sea World Helicopters executives will now give evidence next week during the final days of the inquest.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Sea World Helicopters had a 10-year agreement to run Sea World's joy flights after taking over the Gold Coast attraction's helipad from Village Roadshow Theme Parks in 2019.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em></em><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f"><em><strong><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></strong></em></a><em><strong><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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