The accident occurred in 2020 when the rope connecting Jessica and Mikey to the speedboat snapped during the parasailing ride. Mikey's older brother James, then 15, was also on the ride but survived. Nikos Mallios, 57, the watersports operator, is accused of violating health and safety regulations in connection with the incident.
Mallios is facing criminal proceedings in court in Rhodes, with a hearing scheduled for the day after Hayes's visit. Tony Hayes has undergone PTSD counseling since the accident. Three British witnesses who were on holiday at the time of the accident have traveled to Rhodes to give eyewitness accounts in court.
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.
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.
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.
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 can think of the happy times.