Chinese man dies during paragliding competition in Thailand
A Chinese man died in an accident during a paragliding competition in the northern province of Phetchabun yesterday, December 5.
Officers from Lomkao Police Station were alerted to the fatal fall of a paragliding athlete by the owner of a house in the Lomkao district of Phetchabun at about 3.45pm yesterday and rushed to the scene with a medical team from Lomkao Crown Prince Hospital.
In the front yard of the house, police found the lifeless body of the man, later identified as 58 year old Chinese national Huan Hao. His body was wrapped in the parachute. The deceased participated in a paragliding competition in the province before the fatal accident.
A witness revealed that the Chinese man was flying above the yard at a height of about 100 to 200 metres when the parachute suddenly spun and wrapped around him, causing him to fall to the ground.
It was not clear what caused the fatal accident involving the Chinese man. MGR Online reported that Huan and other paragliding athletes started their flight from the top of Phu Thap Buek Mountain, a popular paragliding spot.
In addition to investigating the cause of the accident, police will also look into whether the paragliding competition was held under a valid licence and permit.
A similar paragliding accident occurred in September last year in the Rawai neighbourhood of Phuket, where a 78 year old foreign man suffered serious injuries after losing control of his glider due to strong winds.
Another similar incident was reported last year when a high-ranking police officer died in a paramotor accident in Khon Kaen, in the Isaan region. The officer reportedly made a sharp turn with too much force, causing the paramotor to lose balance and crash.
In February this year, another Chinese national was injured in a parasailing accident in Phuket. The woman later accused the Thai parasailing operator of prioritising profit over safety, claiming that important safety steps and warnings were not properly explained before the activity began.
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