A Geelong West woman and her nine-year-old son were on a holiday in Queensland earlier this week when they were caught up in a helicopter crash that claimed the lives of four people.

Winnie de Silva, 33, and her son Leon were in one of the two helicopters that collided midair at about 2pm on Monday.

A 33-year-old woman from Geelong West and her son survived the chopper collision on the Gold Coast on Monday.

“Thankfully, they are both alive but have a lot of surgery ahead of them, which means the family will need to stay here on the Gold Coast and I won’t be able to return to work,” husband Neil de Silva wrote on a fundraising page for the pair.

He added that the family was on the Gold Coast for a “quick holiday” from Geelong when the crash took place.

“I’m hoping you can help us out with a small donation to keep us on our feet while Winnie and Leon recover. Any help would be greatly appreciated.”

De Silva’s wife remains in a critical condition at Gold Coast University Hospital, while his stepson is in a stable condition at Queensland Children’s Hospital in Brisbane.

De Silva told this masthead the family was due to fly back to Victoria on Thursday, but could no longer afford the return trip.

The incident “rocked our world in a big way”, he said.

Tributes have been pouring in for the four people who died in the crash. Sea World chief helicopter pilot Ashley Jenkinson, 40, has been described as a “legend” and a “true gentleman”.

Two of the passengers who died in the helicopter piloted by Jenkinson – a 57-year-old woman and a 65-year-old man – were British nationals.

A spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office said in a statement: “We are supporting the family of two British nationals who died in Australia and are in contact with the local authorities.”

The other victim was a 36-year-old woman from Glenmore Park in Sydney’s west.

A 10-year-old boy, also from Glenmore Park, remains at Gold Coast University Hospital in a critical condition.

The helicopter that landed safely was flown by a 52-year-old pilot. His passengers included a 27-year-old Western Australian woman, and two families from New Zealand who were travelling together – a 44-year-old man and 43-year-old woman from one family, and a 48-year-old man and 45-year-old woman from the other. Five of them suffered minor injuries.

with Jocelyn Garcia

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