British base jumper dies after parachute fails

On January 28, 2024, 6:18 PM

A British base jumper has died in Thailand, local police have said.

The 33-year-old man’s parachute failed to open after he jumped from a building in the eastern beach resort of Pattaya, according to local authorities.

Officers said they were called to a 29-storey apartment block on Saturday evening after eyewitnesses reported seeing a person crash through a tree and fall to the ground.

The victim’s social media pages suggest that he was an experienced parachutist.

Police said they found a blue parachute, which had not opened, on the man.

Staff at the building said the man had got to the top floor with friends who were filming him base jumping.

The extreme sport – which involves jumping with a parachute from high landmarks, rather than an aircraft – has become increasingly popular among foreigners living in south east Asia.

Some earn income from the number of social media followers watching their videos.

However, with just a few seconds before hitting the ground, it is also a very dangerous activity, with little margin for error.

It has a much higher fatality rate than skydiving. In March 2022, a British man died after base jumping in south-east France.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in Thailand.”