Outback Wrangler star Matt Wright shares holiday video hours after being hit with new helicopter crash charges

Just hours after being slapped with fresh charges over the fatal chopper crash that killed his mate Chris Wilson, reality TV star Matt Wright has shared footage of his family holiday, telling social media followers that life “doesn’t get any better than this”.

NT WorkSafe charged the celebrity croc-wrangler and his aviation company Helibrook Pty Ltd on Thursday morning with “reckless conduct for operating unsafe aircraft” following the helicopter accident at West Arnhem Land in February 2022 that killed his Wild Croc Territory co-star.

Wright and Helibrook were both charged with two counts of reckless conduct under the Work Health and Safety (National Uniform Legislation) Act 2011.

If found guilty of all charges, Helibrook Pty Ltd faces a maximum combined penalty of $6 million, while Mr Wright faces a maximum combined penalty of $1.2 million or five years imprisonment or both.

After news of the fresh charges broke, Wright shared a video on social media of his family holiday in Victoria with the hashtag #living.

“Doesn’t get any better than this,” Wright said as he showed his followers their accommodation by the beach, along with a crayfish on the table.

“Just hanging out in Vic with a couple of tasty little morsels there, how good is that?” he said.

“A little drop in the ocean yesterday, you can just see that just through here.

“Can’t complain and a couple of fresh cray. Maybe an ab (abalone) or two. That’s living.”

Wright today told The West he would take his time to consider the charges brought by NT WorkSafe.

“I will consider the charges relating to workplace health and safety laws brought today and respond in due course,” he said.

The 44-year-old also claimed the workplace safety watchdog’s media release, which stated that the exact cause of the crash had not yet been determined, was “misleading”.

“The statement released today by NT WorkSafe is misleading with respect to the findings of regulatory agencies relating to this incident,” he said.

In November the Australian Transport Safety Bureau released its 113-page final report into the accident, finding that the helicopter “likely” collided with terrain soon after take-off due to fuel exhaustion.

Wright’s company Helibrook owned and operated the destroyed Robinson R44 Raven II which collided with terrain, soon after take-off from a staging area on the King River, 30km south of South Goulburn Island.

At the time of the crash the helicopter, registered VH-IDW, was contracted to Mick Burns’ company Wildlife Harvesting NT.

Pilot Sebastian Robinson, a ­licensed aircraft maintenance engineer, was flying.

The 30-year-old suffered severe spinal injuries and is now paraplegic.

Wilson — who starred in Outback Wrangler and Wild Croc Territory — was the egg collector in one of three crews on the mission that morning.

The 34-year-old left behind his wife Danielle and their two young sons.

Wilson’s widow recently launched civil proceedings against Helibrook and CASA in the Federal Court over her husband’s death.

This comes as Wright’s WorkSafe charges were listed for a mention at the Darwin Local Court later this month.

He will also return to the NT Supreme Court next month where is facing one charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice in relation to his alleged actions after the crash.