Sea World chopper crash survivor responds to failures laid bare in crash report

When two Sea World helicopters collided mid-air on the Gold Coast in January 2023, 10-year-old Nicky Tadros was one of nine survivors.

His mother Vanessa was one of four people who lost their lives.

Now, an Australian Transport Safety Bureau report into what went wrong that day has revealed 11 serious safety breaches that may have contributed to the crash.

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Nicky's father and widower Simon Tadros called the findings "disgraceful".

"It was a very tough read when I got the report," Tadros said.

"It's 11 [breaches] too many. When you're doing a high-risk operation such as flying a helicopter, there's no room for error."

The report revealed several errors, including that the antenna on one of the helicopters was faulty and passengers weren't properly restrained.

Nicky, who now lives with a prosthetic leg and continues to experience pain from the injuries he sustained in the crash, has a remarkably positive outlook given his circumstances.

"Honestly, Mum's somewhere better. She's in heaven, just enjoying life," Nicky said.

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"The accident obviously put me and Dad in a pretty bad place, but I mean, we still got through it.

"I just don't want this to happen to anyone else."

Tadros continues to battle the financial implications of the crash, for which he has not received compensation from Sea World Helicopters.

"I haven't received any financial relief from them whatsoever.

"It's made life very hard, having a young man to raise, all the cost of living and all that.

"To get no relief from Sea World Helicopters, it's a bit harsh.

"There are weeks I'm only left with $30 in my pocket."

Watch the full video in the player above.