An Australian couple who survived a horrific helicopter crash while on holiday in Bali have taken legal action against the operator.
Russell Harris and his Indonesian wife Eloira Decti Paskillah were among the five passengers on board the helicopter that crashed on July 19 near Pecatu on the southern coast of the Indonesian island.
The Bell Jet Model 5055 aircraft struck a kite string that had become entangled around the helicopter’s main rotor three minutes after takeoff.
The plane crashed 250 meters into a residential area near the ocean, after which the couple, the pilot and their two friends were rushed to hospital.
The sightseeing flight was booked to celebrate Mr Harris’s 46th birthday.
The Perth couple appeared in the media on Monday to announce they are seeking compensation from operator PT. Indo Aviasi Perkasa.
A month after the near-tragedy, Mr Harris still uses crutches, while his wife wears a neck brace.
“(We) are not happy with the position we’ve been put in,” Harris told reporters.
Australian couple Russell Harris and Eloira Decti Paskillah (pictured) have announced they are taking legal action against the company responsible for a helicopter crash they miraculously survived.
“We played for a helicopter tour, not a helicopter crash.”
According to their Indonesian lawyer Togar Situmorang, the couple have asked the provider to pay for accommodation closer to the hospital so they can continue their treatment, and to replace their lost mobile phones.
Mr Harris claimed that the helicopter operator has only paid the medical bills so far.
The couple must pay for their own expenses to continue their recovery in Bali.
“We’ve been told it takes our bodies a minimum of three months to recover,” Harris told the media.
“If this doesn’t work, we’ll both need surgery.”
He also claimed that the company had set a maximum amount of Rs 200 million for the couple, which is approximately AUD 20,000.
“We don’t think there should be a limit, we’re not happy,” Harris said.
“There are probably five or six things they said they would say yes to (in compensation), but we haven’t seen a single one of them yet – apart from the medical treatment.”
Mr Harris and his wife have called on the helicopter operator to pay their medical bills and accommodation after being told they will require three months of ongoing care in Bali.
Ms Paskillah, who burst into tears during the press conference, was traumatised by the “very frightening” ordeal.
“I am really unhappy with this situation. I never asked for this and (the operator) will never say sorry in front of us,” she said.
Mr Harris claimed the company initially ‘did the right thing’ after the accident but then turned its back on them.
“It feels like they are pulling the curtain and making things difficult, when there is no need for that at all,” he said.
‘I feel like we have to get somewhere with the company.
The couple were two of five passengers in the helicopter that plunged about 820 feet (250 meters) to the ground (pictured) after becoming entangled in a kite string just three minutes after takeoff
‘That’s why we had to hire a lawyer and his team to represent us.
“More should be done and it should be done much faster.”
Mr Harris said he and the other passengers were extremely lucky to have survived the crash and called on authorities to take safer measures.
“What’s it going to take? For someone to actually die before they change these rules and regulations? That’s not right,” he said.
The couple’s legal team has also sent correspondence to the Minister of Transport, Bali police and other officials.
Their friend and compatriot Chris Marrot-Castellat was also on board, along with his partner Kayla.