Russian tourist Aleksandr Kishenet has died after falling onto rocks during a solo paragliding flight in Turkey.
The 37-year-old Russian citizen launched his flight from a takeoff platform on Mount Babadag at an altitude of 1,900 metres in Turkey's Fethiye district on October 7 at approximately 10:30 am local time, according to Turkish news channel CNN Türk. Shortly after jumping from the mountain launch point, Kishenet crashed onto rocks below. Emergency medical personnel arrived at the scene, but they were unable to save him.
An investigation into the cause of the fatal crash has been launched by Turkish authorities. Mount Babadag, situated in the Fethiye district of Muğla Province along southwestern Turkey's Turquoise Coast, is widely celebrated as one of the premier locations on the planet for high-altitude paragliding.
The peak rises steeply directly behind the Mediterranean resort village of Ölüdeniz, offering multiple launch platforms at various elevations above sea level. Paragliding is an adventure sport in which a pilot suspended beneath a fabric wing foot-launches from steep slopes to ride rising thermal currents in unpowered flight.
Consular support and body repatriation
The Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Turkey told Russian state news agency RIA Novosti that diplomatic officials are in direct contact with competent Turkish state authorities regarding the tragedy. The consulate confirmed that its officers are currently providing full consular assistance to prepare the official documentation required to facilitate the repatriation of Kishenet's body to Russia. Russian diplomatic missions routinely handle legal certification, coordination with domestic police, and transportation logistics for foreign nationals who die abroad.
Previous paragliding fatal accident
The death comes after another fatal paragliding incident in Turkey involving a female tourist from China. In that prior crash, the Chinese woman died during her flight, and the instructor who was accompanying her was also found lifeless. The Turkish coastline remains a major tourist center that attracts millions of international travelers each year for extreme sports and outdoor recreational activities.
