The Mirror accompanied Tony Hayes as he jetted 1,800 miles to Rhodes, Greece, and visited the spot where he waved goodbye to his 15-year-old daughter Jessica before she fell to her death in 2020

Dad waved off daughter as she went parasailing on ‘best ever’ holiday – then rope snapped

The father of a British teen who fell to her death in a parasailing tragedy on a Greek island today returned to the spot where she lost her life.

Tony Hayes, 43, made the 1,800-mile trip to Rhodes for the first time since his daughter, Jessica, 15, and her cousin, Mikey Connelly, 13, died after falling on to rocks below in 2020. And today he laid two white roses in the sand just hours before the watersports boss who operated the trip was due to face a criminal prosecution in court.

Nikos Mallios, 57, is accused of breaching a raft of health and safety regulations after the rope tethering Jessica and Mikey to his speedboat snapped, sending them spiralling to earth. Michael’s older brother James, then 15, was also being towed in the “three-man ride” but miraculously survived. Today, the Mirror accompanied Tony as he returned to the same beach where he waved Jessica off and told her: “We love you.”

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Jessica Hayes, 15, and her cousins James Connelly, 15, and Michael Connelly, 13, were all taken up on the “three-man” ride

In an exclusive interview, Tony said: “I never want anyone to have to experience anything as traumatic as this. Losing a child is the worst thing that can happen. I need to come back to re-live some parts of it so I can process it.” He added: “It’s difficult to be here. It’s very, very hard. What’s hard for people to understand is that it’s been five and a half years. But for us it feels like it’s still exactly the same day. That time has passed but because of what happened and the court case is ongoing, we haven’t had a resolution to that.

“So I look at a picture of Jess, or see a video of her, and I can’t process what happened. I’ve had to have PTSD counselling. But it’s difficult because I can’t remember the good times because I’m consumed with the ongoing case.

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“When I look at the hotel I have so many mixed emotions. So I have this moment where the family is together and we were having a really lovely time. Then it all changes in a moment. On that day we didn’t overly consider the risk that was involved. It’s so important we get justice. It’s important a message goes out to people.”

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Nikos Mallios is due to appear at Rhodes Courthouse for allegations he breached health and safety regulations(Image: Daily Mirror)

Tony’s return to Lindos, Rhodes, is the latest step in his five-year journey for justice following Jessica and Mikey’s death. Tomorrow Mr Mallios, 57, will take the stand at Rhodes Courthouse where, if convicted, he could face prison for failings which left Tony and his wife, Kayleigh, 39, devastated. Three British witnesses – who were on holiday at the time of the tragedy – have travelled to Rhodes to give eyewitness accounts.

Tony said: “I want him to go to prison, I want it to be long. I think it would help me come to terms with what happened. It might mean that instead of looking of pictures of Jessica and thinking of her death, I’d be thinking of happier times. But I’m also a bit scared about the legal case coming to an end. This feels like the last thing I have been able to do for Jessica. “I’ve felt like I’m still able to do something as her dad, for her. When this is over, I won’t have any more dad duties.”

Tony, from Corby, Northants, went to the Greek island in 2020 with his wife Kayleigh for his father-in-law Phil’s surprise 65th birthday. The couple were on holiday with Kayleigh’s brother Phillip Connelly and wife Sharon – parents of James and Mikey. In the days before the accident, Jessica, Mikey and James played games and watched bands in the hotel. Jessica told her parents the day before she died it was “the best holiday she’d ever had”.

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Tony today told how he was wracked with guilt after his daughter, Jessica, was killed in the parasailing tragedy in 2020

On October 28 they booked on Mr Mallios’ boat in Lardos Bay after seeing the rides on advertising board around the hotel. Tony said goodbye at 12.30pm on the beach outside the hotel, but never saw them again. He said: “Jessica was having a great holiday. There are pictures of James and Jessica revising because they were preparing for their mock exams.

“We had some special moments the night before. She had danced with her grandad and said she was having a great time. The night before she slipped in the shower and bumped her head. Me and Kayleigh lay in the bed with her.

“We didn’t know at that time that it would be the last time we would be that close.” Tony added: “When Jessica, James and Mikey were getting on the boat, we told them we loved them and gave them a cuddle. When we said goodbye, all of the family was together. Instead of staying in front of the hotel, the boat started heading around the bend in the coast. Straight away we knew something wasn’t right.”

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Jessica told her family she was having the “best holiday” before she died in the 2020 tragedy

A storm erupted and when the rope snapped the parachute veered uncontrollably toward the rocky coast where they suffered devastating injuries. James spent more than two weeks in a coma before being evacuated to the UK. Tony said: “The next thing we knew, the boat had come back and everyone was crying.” The families were initially told two of the children had suffered broken bones while the third was alive but in a more serious condition.

It was only when Sharon and Kayleigh forced her way into the hospital that nurses told her that Jessica and Mikey had died. Mr Mallios was arrested and bailed while prosecutors decided whether he should face manslaughter charges. Legal teams acting for the families in Greece – led by solicitor George Moschos – say triple-seat parasailing is forbidden, as is taking kids under 14.

They also claim Mr Mallios could have breached guidelines by operating in bad weather and going outside of a designated watersports area. But Jessica’s death has cast a shadow over Tony’s life and he is wracked with guilt for allowing her to go on the excursion.

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Tony laid two white roses – for Jessica and Mikey – at the spot where he said goodbye before they left for the parasailing excursion(Image: Tim Merry)

He said: “I should have been far more cautious. I could have just said no. I have a lot of guilt about that. I struggle a lot with the fact I could have ultimately made the decision for them not to go out on the parasail. For me that’s hard. I don’t want to tell people going on holiday: ‘Be super cautious, don’t enjoy yourself.’ But watersports companies should be operating to the highest standards and not cutting corners because it puts people’s lives at risk. They have to protect the tourists who put their faith in them. We also want the authorities that oversee these companies to enforce the law.”

Despite being at the centre of a criminal probe, Mr Mallios was not arrested and was free to continue operating from the same spot where he picked up Jessica, Mikey and James. In 2022 the Mirror revealed he was taking boatload after boatload of thrillseekers out to sea on €75 jaunts.

Our exclusive pictures showed the bronzed watersport chief launching his neon yellow speedboat emblazoned with the word “parasailing” on the hull. Today Tony said: “He’s been able to continue operating despite what happened. How many British tourists has he unknowingly taken up in his parasail? If he were a truck driver and he’d killed someone then they would have taken his licence off him.”

Mr Mallios is also scheduled to face more significant charges in Kos later this year.