Bride's Nightmare: Trapped Under Husband's Body in Fatal Wedding Helicopter Crash

A new groom was killed when a helicopter taking him from his wedding crashed into trees — leaving his severely injured new bride forced to lie underneath his corpse for six hours waiting to be rescued, according to a lawsuit. 

Jesni Sam and Dave Fiji, a Delta pilot, had been married only a few hours when their wedding day turned into an “unimaginable nightmare” as the chopper taking them from their celebration at the Revere, a wedding venue in Dawnsonville, Georgia, crashed minutes after takeoff, killing the groom and their pilot.

The bride miraculously survived  — but endured hours of horror as she was wounded and trapped in the mangled wreckage under the man she meant to spend the rest of her life with.

“For nearly six hours, Jesni remained trapped in the rubble, with the deceased corpse of the man she had married only hours earlier lying on top of her,” according to a new lawsuit filed Tuesday by Robb & Robb LLC, a firm that represented Kobe Bryant’s widow, Vanessa Bryant, after the NBA legend’s 2020 death in a helicopter crash.

The young newlyweds boarded the Robinson R66 helicopter, operated by Prestige Helicopters, around 11:45 p.m. for a “helicopter sendoff” bound for DeKalb-Peachtree Airport.

It took off despite poor weather conditions — and clipped some tall trees just five minutes into the flight, sending it crashing into the Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

NTSB weather information cited in the lawsuit states the area may have had rain, fog, low clouds and moderate rain. Weather advisories were also in effect for thunderstorms, poor visibility and mountain obscuration, according to the lawsuit.

Fiji’s mother, Phebah Fiji, told Fox 5 that they were amazed the helicopter ride wasn’t canceled, which her son, a pilot for Delta, was also concerned about.

“Initially, it was going to be called off because of weather concerns,” she said. “However, when the chopper came in, the pilot was very confident that it wouldn’t be an issue, even though it had started raining.”

The bride was knocked out in the deadly crash and suffered serious injuries to her hip, leg, neck, fingers, arm and stomach, the lawsuit alleges. She also experienced headaches, dizziness, loss of balance and was left with extensive scarring across her face and body.

She’s also been left with “emotional and psychological trauma” so severe it “is difficult to comprehend,” the lawsuit claims.

The widow continues to experience post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, grief, anxiety and a fear of flying.

The Revere had contracted the Atlanta-based chopper company, Prestige Helicopters, to operate the flight for the newlyweds, according to the lawsuit.

The filing accuses The Revere and Prestige Helicopters of negligence for failing to appropriately check the weather and deciding to take. The Revere did not have proper procedures for postponing or canceling the helicopter ride, the suit alleges.

The complaint additionally accuses the pilot, Nikhil Nargundkar, of failing to cancel the flight despite rainy and foggy conditions and raises questions about the helicopter’s altitude.

Sam is demanding compensation for medical expenses, rehabilitation, and emotional suffering. She and Fiji’s estate are additionally seeking damages for Fiji’s funeral expenses and loss of income.

The filing requests a trial by jury to determine the amount.