Seriously-injured bride forced to lie next to husband's dead body after horrific wedding night HELICOPTER crash, lawsuit alleges

From the Newshound archive · first published 23 September 2026 · last updated 24 September 2026.

Jesni Sam spent nearly six hours severely injured and trapped in wreckage beside the body of her husband Dave Fiji after a helicopter went down minutes into their wedding night 'send-off' flight on 29 May. Dave, a 25-year-old Delta Airlines first officer, had raised worries about hazardous weather before the couple boarded the Robinson R-66 helicopter arranged by their venue, The Revere in Dawsonville, Georgia. The lawsuit alleges that The Revere and Prestige Helicopters acted negligently in allowing the flight to go ahead under those conditions — a decision that also claimed the life of pilot Nikhil Nargundkar.

The 'helicopter send-off' was offered as a promotional package by The Revere wedding venue, which contracted Atlanta-based Prestige Helicopters.

The chopper crashed into trees in Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area within minutes of take-off, leaving Jesni trapped until first responders reached her.

Dave's mother Phebah has spoken publicly about losing her son on what should have been the happiest day of his life.