Tragedy befalls an Indian-origin family in the as their newlywed son dies in a helicopter crash shortly after getting married. Dave Fiji, a 26-year-old pilot, was among the deceased when the helicopter carrying the newlyweds crashed during their wedding send-off.
Here’s what we know
The incident occurred on 29 May when a Robinson R66 crashed near the Dawsonville wedding venue where Fiji had just married his wife, Jesni, Atlanta News First reported. Fiji and his wife, Jesni, were headed for their honeymoon when the tragedy occurred.
The helicopter, bound for DeKalb-Peachtree Airport in Chamblee, , never reached its destination.
Jesni reportedly survived the and is currently recovering at a metro Atlanta hospital. The officials have not released the identity of the chopper pilot who was flying the Robinson R66 and was also killed in the crash.
The report suggests that the crash occurred in a heavily wooded area not far from the wedding venue. Neighbours told Atlanta News First the went down on a 10,000-acre tract owned by the City of Atlanta and managed by the state as a wildlife management area.
According to George Fiji, Dave’s father, “It took them a while to locate the helicopter itself.” He added that the new bride remained trapped for almost six hours in the wreckage before rescuers located her.
“She said when she woke up she saw my son Dave resting on her bosom,” George said. “She saw blood on him, and by then his body was completely cold. She’s a nurse, so she knew he was gone.”
George said his daughter-in-law suffered cuts and bruises but no broken bones. “She’s devastated, but she is recovering,” he added.
Who was Dave Fiji?
Dave was an Atlanta resident whose family traces its roots to . According to his father, he had dreamt of flying since he was 10 years old and later went on to become a first officer for Delta Air Lines.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Fiji studied at Middle Georgia State University between 2019 and 2023. He worked as a driver helper for UPS between November 2022 and January 2023. He then went on to work as an Amazon delivery associate at Jo May Logistics.
He then worked as a certified flight instructor at Middle Georgia State University from January 2024 to March 2025. He joined Endeavor Air, a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air, in March 2025 and was serving as a .
Here’s what happened before the crash
According to George, his son expressed concerns about the before takeoff as rain moved into the area on the night of 29 May.
“Since my son was a pilot, he told the pilot that there is zero visibility, and when there is zero visibility like this, we never fly,” the deceased’s father said, who was later informed by Jesni that the pilot said they would fly at a higher altitude.
Dave’s father, George Fiji, who immigrated to the US years ago, is finding it difficult to come to terms with the devastating loss. Reflecting on the last moments he spent with his son, George remembered how happy Dave was on his wedding day.
“My son was so happy. I was just standing there watching my son. He looked so handsome,” George told the media.
As per the family, Dave and Jesni first crossed paths about a decade ago through their community. What began as a friendship gradually developed into a romantic relationship, eventually leading them to choose each other as life partners.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash and has not yet determined what caused the helicopter to go down.
