A 25-year-old Indian-origin pilot was killed in a helicopter crash in the US state of Georgia just hours after marrying his longtime partner, while his bride survived and was rescued after being trapped beneath the wreckage for nearly five hours.Dave Fiji, an Atlanta-based pilot with Delta Air Lines, died when the Robinson R66 helicopter carrying the newlywed couple crashed near Dawsonville in Dawson County on Saturday night.The helicopter pilot was also killed in the accident.His wife, Jessni, suffered multiple injuries but survived the crash and is undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital.The couple had tied the knot earlier that day at The Revere, a popular wedding venue near Dawsonville, in the presence of hundreds of guests. Family members said the ceremony had been perfect, but the celebrations ended in tragedy when the couple boarded a helicopter that was scheduled to take them to Peachtree-DeKalb Airport before they headed to a hotel in downtown Atlanta.Dave’s parents, George and Pheba Fiji, who emigrated to the United States from Muvattupuzha in Kerala’s Ernakulam district, are struggling to come to terms with the loss.“He was a precious child. He was a gift from God for us,” George Fiji told local media.“We could say it was the perfect wedding. We couldn’t ask for anything more.”According to family members, weather conditions had worsened by the time the reception concluded around 9.30 pm, with rain and fog significantly reducing visibility. George Fiji said his son, an experienced commercial pilot, had expressed concerns about flying in such conditions.“He said, ‘I wouldn’t fly. We would not fly in this visibility,’” his father recalled.Despite the concerns, the helicopter departed after the pilot reportedly chose to fly at a higher altitude. The aircraft later crashed in a rugged, heavily wooded mountainous area southwest of Dawsonville.George Fiji said Jessni remained trapped beneath debris and fallen trees for nearly five hours before rescue teams could reach her.“She said when she woke up, she was under the rubble. She saw him lying on her chest,” he said. “She called out to him, but he was already cold.”Jessni, a nurse by profession, escaped without any fractures but suffered extensive cuts and bruises. Family members said she remains devastated by the loss of her husband.The Dawson County Sheriff’s Office said it received reports of a possible downed helicopter late Saturday night. The Federal Aviation Administration later confirmed that the Robinson R66 helicopter crashed near Dawsonville around 10.30 pm with three people on board.Residents near the crash site described the terrain as extremely challenging, with rescue crews using off-road vehicles and cutting through dense vegetation to reach the wreckage.The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the crash. A preliminary report is expected within the next 30 days.The family is from Kerala.