Daughter sees father fall to death from tandem parasail

A 25-year-old woman has spoken of her horror as she saw her father plunge to his death in a parasailing accident during a family holiday in Turkey.

Glenn Hudson, 50, from Wivenhoe, Essex, had persuaded daughter Emma to go on a tandem parasail in Side.

But he plunged to his death on Saturday when it appears his safety harness snapped, leaving Miss Hudson mid-air.

She and her mother are warning tourists of the dangers after learning of other parasailing accidents in Turkey.

Miss Hudson said: "I'm sure if my dad had known that, he would never have let us both go up there. We want other people to be aware of the risks."

Miss Hudson, who had never parasailed before and had expressed concerns about her own harness, watched in horror as her father fell 150ft (46m) onto the beach.

Parasailing, also known as parascending, is a recreational sport where a person attached to a parachute is towed behind a vehicle, usually a boat.

Miss Hudson said: "We had been up in the air for about 10 minutes and we were just chatting.

"He kept reassuring me as I wasn't that comfortable.

"He was saying 'it's lovely up here, it's really peaceful'. And then he just dropped.

"It didn't seem like it was happening. It was just like a dream. I was screaming, but it was like the noise wasn't coming from me."

She ran to her mother, Linda, who was sunbathing on the beach.

The pair rushed to Mr Hudson's side but his wife was told that he was already dead.

Mrs Hudson, 51, said she was told the hire company, who operated from a beach-side shack, will be prosecuted.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We can confirm the death of a British national who died in Antalya, Turkey, on July 24.

"We are in touch with next of kin and providing consular assistance.

"We will not speculate on the circumstances surrounding the death.

"The Turkish authorities continue to investigate the matter."