Seven people, including four members of a Slovenian family, were killed in a helicopter crash in southeastern Italy on Saturday. Boštjan Rigler (54 years old), director of one of the main television companies in his native country, is said to be one of the family members who died.
The helicopter belonged to a private company and was of the type A109. The aircraft departed from the Tremiti Islands around 9 am on Saturday morning and was on its way to Foggia. Over the mainland, however, the helicopter disappeared from the radar.
A major search operation by rescue services and the military was launched. During the afternoon, the wreckage of the aircraft was found in a rural area between San Severo and Apricena. None of the occupants appeared to have survived the disaster.
Slovenian family
The Rigler family had arrived on the island group on Friday and would actually return to their holiday address on the Italian mainland the same day. However, their flight was postponed to Saturday due to bad weather. Also on board were Jon Rigler (44), Mateja Curk Rigler (44) and Liza Rigler (13).
According to local media, Boštjan Rigler is technical director of Pro Plus, one of the largest commercial television companies in Slovenia, with the two channels Pop TV and Kanal A.
Pilots and Doctor
In addition to the tourists from Ljubljana, there were two pilots, Luigi Ippolito and Andrea Nardelli, and an Italian doctor on board. According to the Italian news agency ANSA, 64-year-old doctor Maurizio De Girolamo had decided to fly home instead of going by boat due to bad weather and rough seas.
The Italian Federation of Doctors, Surgeons and Dentists honors De Girolamo. “Our colleague spent his life bringing medical aid to the small islands. Places where it is more difficult to guarantee health services. We honor him,” it sounds in local media. The Vice President of Puglia, Raffaele Piemontese, also paid tribute to the doctor: “He was always at the service of others.”
The cause of the crash is not yet known and is under investigation. Bad weather conditions may have played a role.
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