[Faline]

A Chinese billionaire is among four people feared dead after the helicopter from which he was viewing his newly-purchased French chateau crashed into a river.



Lam Kok, the 46-year-old head of the Hong Kong-based Brilliant group, had just bought Chateau de la Riviere, a major Bordeaux vineyard.

The accident happened at the end of a festive day marking Thursday's sale of one of the region's oldest wine estates reportedly worth 30m euros (£25m).

He and his 12-year-old son were on the helicopter piloted by James Gregoire, the former owner, when the accident happened on Friday. An interpreter was also a passenger.

Emergency workers pulled the boy's body from inside the helicopter after finding the wreckage in the Dordogne river on Saturday morning, according to local officials.

But the search operation was called off just before midnight with the helicopter's other three occupants still missing. The search is due to resume on Sunday.

Police said strong currents were making the search operation difficult.

Lam Kok's wife had pulled out of the aerial tour at the last minute, saying she was "scared of helicopters", a photographer at the event said.

After a news conference, an introduction to the staff and dinner, Mr Gregoire was taking his buyer on a short tour of the 65-hectare (160-acre) vineyards and surrounding grounds.

When they did not return after 20 minutes, employees at the vineyard contacted emergency services.

A major search operation was launched using emergency helicopters, inflatable boats, rescue divers and around 100 officers on foot.

Emergency workers managed to locate the wreckage in the river after police received a call from a witness who had seen the helicopter go down.

Parts of the helicopter fuselage have been recovered from the crash site.

A previous owner of the Chateau de la Riviere, Jean Leprince, was killed in a plane crash in 2002.

Mr Gregoire bought the property, the largest in Bordeaux's Fronsac wine-producing region, the following year.

Earlier on Friday, the vineyard's managing director, Xavier Buffo, said during a press conference the sale marked the largest Chinese investment in Bordeaux property to date.

Hong Kong-based Brilliant, which specialises in rare teas and luxury hotels in China, had said it wanted to turn the chateau into a high class tea and wine tasting centre with a hotel nearby.

[PTSD Is My Life]

Awwww fuck, what ths bets I am related to him and his money is all tied up in a Nigerian bank account and i release it if i send $5000 via western union to Dr Umboge Fullosite

[Pyramid_Head]

That's sad and simply shows that money can't buy you anymore time.

[Pigeon]

Extra, extra, read all about it: 3 non-billionaires also feared dead!

[Jere]

a billyen-heir

[DEWBZ]

Lamb kok lol

[Shakey]

Rich people problems.

[invertigo]

I don't have much empathy for any person that has resources so vast as to ease the suffering of so many less fortunate individuals, but instead chooses to show off in their 'Fortune 500' circles & lavish in their personal wealth

[durt]

No matter how rich you are, gravity works the same

[calisphere]

My first thought when I saw the title was: oh no! Not Christian Grey!