Thailand: British base jumper dies after parachute fails to open
A 33-year-old base jumper from the United Kingdom lost his life as his parachute failed to open after he leaped off a 29-story apartment building. The accident occurred in Pattaya, Thailand, where Nathy Odinson crashed through the trees before hitting the ground. The police discovered his body, along with a blue parachute, and declared him dead at the scene. An investigation into the incident is underway. Base jumping has become a popular extreme sport among foreigners in South East Asia.
Parachute malfunctioned, forensic authorities probing incident
According to reports, Odinson snuck into the building and went upstairs to perform the base jump while a friend filmed from below. However, his parachute malfunctioned, and he crash-landed. Lieutenant Kamolporn Nadee, deputy inspector of investigations at the Bang Lamung District Police Station, said, "The parachute that he used to jump malfunctioned and was not centered as expected." Forensic officers are currently examining the parachute as part of their investigation.
Odinson jumped from same building several times before
Known for sky photography on social media under the name Nathy's Sky Photography, Odinson was an experienced parachutist who had jumped from the same building several times before. He also ran a sky photography business and took clients on private sky drives. The police in Pattaya said that they were alerted about the accident at 7:30pm on Sunday (local time).
What is base jumping?
Base jumping is the recreational sport of jumping from fixed objects, using a parachute to descend safely. It is an extremely dangerous sport, giving jumpers only seconds to deploy their parachutes before touching the ground. Following the base jumper's death, the British Embassy in Bangkok was informed of the incident. A Foreign Office spokesperson said they are supporting Odinson's family in the United Kingdom.
