An Australian millionaire was killed after his safety harness apparently failed during a freak parasailing accident on Kata Beach in Phuket, Thailand on Wednesday. Roger John Hussey, 70, and his Thai wife, Budsabong Thongsangka, were 10 days into their vacation when tragedy struck.
His wife handed video of the accident over to Thai police. The video appeared on Facebook.com soon after.
The video shows a crew member adjusting Mr. Hussey’s safety harness. Notice the old, frayed, weatherbeaten straps that hang loosely around his legs.
Hussey appeared apprehensive and nervous as he smiled for his wife. Notice he is holding the rig straps incorrectly.
The straps are upside down and the parasail rig lines are trapped under his arms as they lift off.
A crew member noticed the straps were in the wrong position and signaled the boat captain to stop. The boat slowed and the tow line went slack.
The parasailor, identified as Rungroj Rakscheep, 38, threw his legs over the rigging and sat upright. That’s when he noticed the rig straps caught under Hussey’s arms.
Rakscheep is seen jerking on Hussey’s arms, trying to get the nervous man to let go of the straps.
You’ll get a better understanding of the correct position of the rig straps when you watch the 2nd video below.
Hussey is seen briefly extending his arms to the side, then he panicked, and somehow slipped out of the harness and plunged 250 feet into shallow water.
Rakscheep tried desperately to save him, but he is left holding Hussey’s empty harness.
Crew members are seen rushing into the shallow water to pull Hussey to shore. He was still breathing when medics arrived but he died later at a hospital.
Thai police arrested the parasailor and the boat captain Montien Chandeng, 45.
One popular theory about why the harness failed is Mr. Hussey probably panicked and accidentally pulled a hook that released the safety harness.
The 1st video below shows the tragic accident. The 2nd video shows how the parasail rig should look in the normal position. The video was recorded by a tourist on the same beach last year.
When the boat picks up speed and the parachute gains altitude the rigging is taut enough for the parasailor to sit on.
Notice the parasail straps are in the correct upright position, and the straps are not trapped under the man’s arms.
A better view of the rig strap attached to the safety harness. The parasailor angles his body to steer/turn the parachute and to make it descend.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=1aFqj7nhGbs
the write up is sad enough, can’t watch this.
Shit black folks wont ever hardly die of…parasailing. And he was in a city named Phucket.
RIP to him tho
Scratches parasailing off the list
I’m giving side eye was this a set up?! ? Thai wife about to come up off that insurance
So sad….I shant be clicking tho
I was going to try this years ago, but I found out most of the Parasailing places are not monitored the same as other companies and do not require updated equipment or insurance. With no regulations this is extremely dangerous
That’s why I only choose hobbies that have my feet firmly planted on the ground. Not risking my life for any hobby at all.
This is a tragedy. When we went the instructor kept saying to not hold anywhere around the hook and I thought to myself, surely they can come up with a mechanism to make it impossible for you to do that. And they sure kept us on the boat until we went out to deeper water. This is so sad, nothing wrong with wanting to have a little fun… RIP.
Oh dear why did I watch the video. This is horrible
RIP ??
I hatechu ?
White folks stay looking for ways to die while black folks are trying to stay alive.
They test fate when they go trying to climb Mount Everest or skydiving or jumping out of a plane.
Thanks but no thanks.
RIP sir. There comes a point in your life when you have to make informed choices. Like “can I die doing this, will I break bones, is this shyte worth the risk”? I am keeping my feet firmly planted on the ground.
You know I was thinking the same way ..she gonna split that with the culprits ..Nah but RIP to that man
I just came from out of town and some of my friends wanted to do this but I decided not to bcuz umm yeah I really can’t be bothered with doing anything that can help me in the grave earlier then I need to go
Shoot, your mama didn’t raise no fool!! Mine neither!!
Ok I watched the video and these are my observations:
3 people helped him strap up, and not one of them realized the straps were on upside down
There should be a final look over to make sure everything is how it’s supposed to be
Lastly, why is it that no one runs out to him until after he has fallen into the water?
New wife probably promised them a cut if they got rid of her husband LOL
1000 ways to die. Make that 1001. No ma’am I won’t be doing this.
She’d better hope she’s even on the insurance. At his age, he probably has grown kids, and he might just have their names on the insurance.
DIDN’T view video. Rest In Peace to the gentleman.
You ain’t lying I saw this white mofo with his nose off his body with tape because he was climbing Mt. Everest talking about he wanted an adventure and said he would do it again. I went to Costa Rico and they were talking about zip lining I said hell naw. I am going to Dubai next month and I saw people jumping off skyscrapers I said hell to the naw. I walk, go hiking in the woods where there are no tigers/bears get on my boat, eat and bring my azz back to the hotel. I don’t even let those fools take me zipping thru the water on those jet ski’s.
Yep she grabbed one of them young phune beach bums and bringing him home. His body wasn’t bad for a 70 year old man.
*kicks in blog door*…..GOOOOOOD MERT’ING ROZAY’S!!!!!!
LOL!!!!
*dang…these heifa’s done got rude and don’t speak no’mo….WELL!!!!
Haaay girl, hey.
HAAAAAYYYYYY!!!!!….
“did’chu miss me?” (in my Varnell Hill voice)
Sad…my bro did this in Thailand . Negro crazy for doing that.
The Most adventurous thing I’ve done is go kayaking in the bioluminescence bay in PR. Kayaking in the Atlantic while its pitch dark, navigating thru a tiny island with bushes and trees all around….never again
Hey Zeta. My baby girl is down your way. Well maybe not. She over in Marengo County. Oh its me. *stares hard into the screen so you can see me*
BIIIIIISSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
*runs and slaps your face and then hug you*
we just left your way last week….Z22 on his way to IRAQ…plz keep us in prayer…
So this man goes to his wife homeland. He “accidently” falls to his death. Nobody else dies. He is rich.
The Me Luh Yew Lone Tyme ass wife did this here shit. the man who was left holding the harness probably her brother or something. IJS
The wife had them rig his sh*t. He was in good shape for seventy.
Prayers up! Last week I was on my way to SC/GA line to meet my ex husband for the drop off. Funny how lives and paths cross like that. *hugs ya*
Bingo. We are on the same wavelength.
I think abt you all the time…(like I know you..LOL)
IKR…
BUT A BISH WILL BE 50 IN SEPTEMBER/ RETIRED AT THE END OF THE YEAR…LOOK AT GAWD!!!!!…I have to keep focused
HAVE A GREAT REST OF THE MORNING/DAY ROSES….AND I PLAN ON DOING THE SAME…
LOVE YOU GUYS…
Something’s fishy about this….RIP
My God. RIP
I agree!!!!….as a wife of a man who use to jump out of airplanes and a son who DOES NOW…the one thing they say is how much they CHECK THEIR STRAPS….*something in the milk ain’t clean*
*cues Perry Mason music*…LOL
This sounds pretty fishy!! She’s Thai they’re Thai their in Thailand!! Perfect murder poor guy..
10 days into the vacation…Jeesh! WIsh I could go 10 days on average we get 5 days and the weekends I guess but RIP. Sad.. I did this one time and that’s it. I can say I did it and move on with life
I was thinking the same thing…She banking. Im pretty sure this wasn’t their first rodeo with having customers parasail….why this all of a sudden happen with the rich man
Everyone’s out tryna make a buck. Those people did not sound like professionals plus they were arrested on top of that. More than likely they were not authorized to be providing parasailing to tourist. RIP.
I would kill errybody. I don’t want to hear no accident shit
And this is why u stay on the ground and have my fun….the odds of dying in a car crash is enough for me…?
My wife and I did parasailing, it’s a ton of fun, but wow gotta make sure the harness is on the right way!! 400+ feet drop he may as well have jumped off Godzilla.
Watching too much ID channel. Lol
My dad took me kayaking when I was little…u made me remember that..it was fun….it wasn’t at night tho?
Parasailing is safe when proper precautions are taken, but I’ve noticed this.
God Bless your husband and son.
Even without ever jumping out of anything except my bed (lol) I would make sure that everything was on safe and secure and my straps would be right!
Damn. Write that script and get paid! Lol
I want to be friends too! Lol
Sounds like an international Dateline episode to me!
That’s that place that got hit pretty bad by the Tsunami in 2004. I see the recovered well.
Word lol. Y’all played it safe. Great dad ??
One thing that’s interesting to me is that they tell him not to hold anywhere near the hook. When we went parasailing, they never told us anything about not touching a hook that is an emergency release from your harness. That sounds crazy — imagine if you had something like that on, for example, a rollercoaster.. and then you do a loop and fly out. Like, why would you have that?
And why do the instructors ride on TOP OF YOU WITH NO HARNESS?!?! That’s not safe at all for the instructor!! You know how breezy it can get up there? I’d have safe these crazy dudes riding like that and would HAVE KNOWN not to have gone anywhere near their operation. NOT reputable!
I would love to go kayaking.
Girl that’s one of my favorite channels. .??
Wow…that is crazy and scary! I did this 16 years ago I launched from a boat and I was alone…no crew behind me guiding the thing…
Why were they rushing…where was the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd harness check…by separate individuals?
My wife did the same thing, of course she watches it all the time
Same thing I was thinking look how the guy with the long ponytail stops what he’s doing and looks into the camera
When the person tried to inform the driver of the boat something was wrong , they were about 75 ft. high. If the driver saw him , why didn’t he turn the boat off? At the height he was at the victim would’ve been alright if he fell. How did he get up at least another 150 ft. if the driver had noticed the person telling him something was wrong? Definitely fishy!
Was about to do that once when the wife asked one simple question …… “Does this have insurance in case of accidents?” ……. all of a sudden them fools didn’t speak english anymore ……. that was the end of that …….
Just read a woman died in St. Marteen where the jets fly low on the beach. They tried to get me go down there I was like yall crazy as hell. Talking bout it would be fun to see the planes come that close to the beach before landing. I want to on the plane when it lands not outside the plane.
I was thinking the same thing… https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/fe5878bcdb361b1eb720878e5f4c9924c1ca641648fc02469ecbf7b6dfbe2934.gif
Dateline is my show!!!
yes i saw the video. smh ppl are so stupid !! rip
I just read the article about this. There are so many signs warning people. Nah, I can follow directions
Stav, exactly. . This was pure murder if it walk, quacks, look it’s a duck!!
And the wife goes back to Tailand with millions and a big smile on her face. We all know they like to marry within their own race.. unless money is involved.
And you know this…Mannn!! Chris Tucker voice.
Dateline is the bomb… I like Paula Zahn too
You remember this guy from India went into the woods with white folks looking for bears to take a selfie. We know who didn’t make it outta the woods don’t we. When I am running and if the wind blow the leaves too hard I am getting the hell outta there. I don’t pause for a second to see is it a deer or a dog. I be rolling.
They were in on the insurance gig too… maybe not – but it sure seems like it. I wonder why they were arrested
I agree mos def!
Lol ?
Lol ?
I want to go Kayak whale watching but I won’t, lol!!! I just get my thrills by watching YT.
Didn’t realize he was a MILLIONAIRE ? ? DAMN, I would have loved ?? to be in her shoes ? as PYT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!????
Oh well, ? at least he died doing what he loved.
Yes, I think it was because the water was so shallow, hew must have slammed on the ocean floor. But then again hitting the water from that height can be like hitting a brick wall.
Damn Phuket then.
His gut told him something wasn’t right. I noticed how they literally pulled him by the hand. He didn’t want to do it.
But wait… soooooooooo the wife is filming right? (scrolls up… not sure, just says she handed the video over…) but don’t you find it odd that the person who was filming did not BUDGE!!!! Even videoed everyone running to check on him… hmmmmmm
OMG!
Jesus!
U already know, I ain’t gone play with my life lol!
???? this sound like the right thing to do haul ass…
classless stupidity.
But look at how that dude took his hand and dragged him. He looked like he wasn’t sure if he wanted to do this.
I don’t put myself in dangerous situations like these. Why?
I just went parasailing for the first time recently on a trip to the Bahamas. It was an amazing experience but this just brings back that realization of how dangerous things like this can be.
Y’all with these gold-digging comments are pathetic. This man is dead. Show some respect
I hate he had to go like that. That’s sad, especially for his children. I would like to go parasailing. I guess we can learn something from his death. May he RIP
SET UP
Exactly why when they went parasailing when we were in Singapore, I was at the bar. Drinking. And watching. In comfort and safety.
Exactly
His wife from Thailand tooo. Please why no one said her age cause she 25 she was tired of that 70 year old man and felt it was time to cash in she called up her tourist worker goons and convinced her husband to do his final excursion I’m pretty sure she begged him to do it
The wife did it. Had it done.
Exactly! !
Too sad to watch ? RIP
That’s really sad!
OMG God Bless his soul and watch over his family.
So sad!
Tragic…. I hope is young wife didn’t have a hand in this….
?? Very sad. I hate reading stuff like this. It makes me feel so sad for try he loves ones. Prayers!
You can clearly see them twist the harness from right side up to upside down when the pony tail guy runs turns towards the camera. No reaction from wife also clearly indicates that this is potentially a set up.
If you re watch.. The guy flips the harness.. You can see the strings twist and everything. That’s crazy.
you are right!! it was a set up
the guide didnt have any harness or any attachments on. at 1:15 he wraps his legs around the man at 1:18 he lets go of the straps & wraps his arms around the man there is some rapid arm movement from the guide and the man drops. but i see the guide was secure and didnt fall.