A British Base jumper has died after his parachute failed to open during a stunt in Thailand.
Nathy Odinson, 33, from Cambridgeshire, who had performed skydives and Base jumps around the world, is said to have illegally climbed up a 29-storey building in the coastal resort of Pattaya and jumped off on Saturday night.
Footage recorded by his friend, a Thai local, posted on social media shows Odinson counting down “three, two, one, see ya”. He can then be heard landing in a tree before hitting the ground.
Photos from the scene showed what appeared to be a blue parachute on the pavement next to a protective helmet.
Odinson’s brother Ed Harrison, 39, said footage of the daredevil’s last moments showed that his mini pilot chute was caught in his harness, meaning there was “no chance” it would have deployed.
Harrison, from St Neots, said that despite his brother’s considerable experience – having undertaken 5,000 jumps around the world, he said – he made a fatal error and leaped to his death.
Paying tribute, Harrison said his sibling “will be missed by so many … He was fun-loving and joyful and great with kids. He was a hero to my three.”
According to the Daily Mirror, police lieutenant Kamolporn Nadee, the deputy inspector of investigations at the Bang Lamung district police station, said: “The parachute that the deceased used to jump malfunctioned and was not centred as expected. Forensics officers are investigating the case further. They are examining the parachute.
“The friend who recorded the video of him jumping was questioned and the video was examined as evidence. Forensics officers are investigating the case further. They are examining the parachute.”
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in Thailand.”
