A tourist from China and an experienced local instructor died after their tandem paraglider flipped in mid-air and crashed on Mount Babadag in Turkey.
The tragedy occurred on August 31 at the popular coastal resort of Oludeniz. The instructor, identified as Ali Kadyl, was flying with the female Chinese tourist when the tandem paraglider inverted and rapidly lost altitude.
Eyewitnesses captured video footage seconds before the crash showing the double paraglider turning upside down in the air. A Russian citizen was standing next in line for a flight from the mountain peak when the fatal accident occurred, according to reports published by the Telegram channel Mash.
Rescuers faced severe difficulties reaching the site of the crash owing to the remote and rocky terrain. Emergency teams spent ten hours attempting to navigate the mountain slopes before finally reaching the bodies of both victims.
Mount Babadag paragliding site
Mount Babadag is a mountain peak near Fethiye in Mugla Province along Turkey's southwestern coast, rising nearly 2,000 metres above sea level. Situated directly above the resort village of Oludeniz, the peak is globally famous as a primary center for commercial tandem paragliding, attracting thousands of international tourists each year.
In tandem paragliding, a passenger flies secured to a professional pilot who handles takeoff, navigation and landing. Ali Kadyl was an experienced instructor at the site who was regularly recommended for flights by Russian tourist groups.
Flight suspension lifted next day
Local authorities halted all paragliding activities from Mount Babadag on the day of the tragedy. However, officials lifted the flight prohibition on the following day, permitting commercial tandem flights to resume across the resort.
The fatal crash follows a separate paragliding accident in the Kabardino-Balkaria region, where a paraglider died after crashing into a tree inside a mountain gorge. His body hung in the tree for twenty-four hours before rescuers could recover it.
