London: The Times newspaper reported on Tuesday that a 45-year-old British man named Thomas Aitken has been held in Turkiye following a mid-air collision that claimed the life of another paraglider.
In a tandem flight with fellow Turkish citizen Andac Unsal, 45, Orkut Baysal, 30, a member of the national paragliding team of Turkey, reportedly jumped from 1,700 metres above sea level in Fethiye, in the Mugla province. Aitken launched himself from the same location at about the same time on a solo jump from a lower altitude.
The paragliders are thought to have collided as they got closer to the ground, falling onto a hotel roof before coming to rest next to a pool, according to The Times. Their parachutes reportedly became tangled about 20 metres above the ground, according to Turkish media sources.
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Baysal suffered numerous wounds, which caused his death. Aitken and Unsal also suffered injuries, but they weren't life-threatening.
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According to The Times, Aitken was reportedly remanded in police custody while authorities looked into the accident's cause and whether any of the parties involved had been negligent.
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Concerns about safety policies and procedures in the paragliding community have been raised in response to the tragedy.