Bodies of French sports stars arrive home

Image
AFP Paris
Last Updated : Mar 22 2015 | 5:57 PM IST
The bodies of three sports stars and five crew members killed in a helicopter crash in Argentina while filming a reality TV show arrived back in Paris today.
Relatives and officials gathered at Charles de Gaulle airport near Paris for a small ceremony, an airport source told AFP.
The coffins of yachtswoman Florence Arthaud, Olympic champion swimmer Camille Muffat and boxer Alexis Vastine, along with the crew members, arrived shortly before 1000 GMT, the source said.
French Sports Minister Patrick Kanner, the Argentine ambassador and Nonce Paoli, who heads the TF1 channel that was producing the television show, were also at the airport.
The eight French nationals died along with two Argentine pilots on March 9 during the filming of the reality show "Dropped" when two helicopters collided shortly after takeoff from the remote village of Villa Castelli in northwestern Argentina.
There were no survivors.
The victims' bodies will be transported to their home towns for burial, the source added.
"Dropped," which was to air on TF1 but was immediately cancelled after the crash, featured sports stars who were taken blindfolded into rugged environments and given 72 hours to get to a place where they could charge a mobile phone.
Initial investigations indicate the crash was caused by human error, officials say.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Mar 22 2015 | 5:57 PM IST

Next Story