Thai parasailing staff and tourist fall into Phuket sea after rope snaps
A tourist and parasailing assistant fell into the sea in Phuket on Monday, April 20, after a rope snapped mid-flight. No injuries were reported.
The incident was captured on video by a foreign witness and shared on TikTok account, @burcuus, with the caption “That was close.” The footage shows two men, believed to be a tourist and a parasailing assistant, being lifted into the air by a speedboat before one of the ropes suddenly snapped.
Both men fell into the water shortly after take-off, with the height described as relatively low. Channel 7 reported that the snapped rope connected the parachute to the speedboat.
Neither individual sustained injuries, according to reports. It remains unclear whether the tourist has sought compensation or taken legal action. Police and relevant government agencies have not issued statements on the incident.
The video prompted criticism online, with commenters raising concerns about safety standards among local parasailing operators. Netizens commented…
“Where is safety? The operator should check the condition of each equipment before providing service. The service cost is very expensive, and they should get that money to buy new equipment.”
“It was lucky that they had not yet get higher than this. Safety is the image of tourism industry, you know that?”
“This is not funny. This operator should pause their service until they can ensure tourists’ safety.”
“I did parasailing here last year and was going to do it again last week. I’m glad I didn’t now.”
“Nothing’s changed in the past 10 years.”
Others called for a temporary suspension of services until safety could be ensured, while some noted similar concerns from past experiences.
The incident follows previous safety concerns involving parasailing in Phuket. In January last year, police launched a crackdown on operators lacking proper safety measures after a staff member fell to his death while assisting a customer off Karon Beach from a height comparable to a 15-storey building.
Despite enforcement efforts, similar incidents have continued. In April last year, a foreign man was injured after falling onto a jet ski while parasailing off Patong Beach. In October, a parasailing staff member jumped into the sea off Kata Beach to assist a tourist after a speedboat capsised.
@_burcuus_ #thailandtiktok #phuket #kamalabeach #parasailling Das war knapp 😱 #parasailingaccident
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