Parasailing death seems like a horrible way to die.

[crash_davis 23115]

happened over the weekend

https://abcnews.go.com/US/woman-killed-children-injured-parasailing-accident-florida-keys/story?id=85095149

The winds had "picked up" and the parasail struck the Old Seven Mile Bridge near Pigeon Key, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said in a statement Tuesday.

According to an incident report from the FWC, a strong gust of wind "pegged" the parasail, which is jargon for when the parasail chute becomes controlled by the wind speed rather than the operation of the vessel.

When this took place, the captain "cut the line" that was tethered to three parasailers," who then "dropped from an unknown height and dragged through the water by the inflated parasail," according to the FWC incident report. "The chute continued to drag the victims through and across the surface of the water" until the collision, the report continued.

 

last year

https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida/2021/08/26/florida-boat-captain-charged-in-parasailing-crash-that-killed-2-tourists/

The horizontal parasail caused the boat to tilt and it began to take on water, prompting Santeiro to yell for the people on board to move over to the starboard side to right the boat, Fish and Wildlife said. At some point, the parasail towline attached to the boat parted.

Hayward and Silva were dropped from an unknown height and were dragged through the water by the inflated parasail chute, the fish and wildlife commission said. The remaining towline attached to the boat snapped back to the vessel and lodged itself around the boat’s propeller.

“Hayward and Silva continued to drag through and across the surface of the water for about seven to nine minutes before the parasail finally deflated,” according to the arrest warrant.

 

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/parasailing-brit-teens-fell-400ft-22924068

Two British teenagers fell 400ft to their deaths after a parasailing accident while on holiday in Greece when the rope on their speedboat snapped, it has been reported.

A boy, 13, and a girl, 15, both cousins, tragically died while another, the boy’s 15-year-old brother, is fighting for his life in hospital in Rhodes.

They were being towed by the speedboat when a rope holding their parasailing parachute snapped, the Greek coastguard said.

The trio fell from an “extreme” height and crashed into rocks in high winds.

 

[Native Horn 3516]

Username checks out

[TexasEd 8077]

Seems similar to dying from bungee jumping but in slow motion

 

 

[crash_davis 23115]

1 minute ago, TexasEd said:

Seems similar to dying from bungee jumping but in slow motion

 

 

yum, tuna.

[crash_davis 23115]

so yea, you either get dropped from a few stories high and die a slow painful death of blunt trauma and drowning, or you get tea bagged to death repeatedly getting slammed into water as the parachute drags you for miles.

[ohchaucer 1443]

I’m confused on two points. First, they hit the water and then are dragged through the water? How does that happen? And second, assuming the boat operator cuts the line, aren’t they more or less just parachuting then back down to the water or ground?

[crash_davis 23115]

Just now, ohchaucer said:

I’m confused on two points. First, they hit the water and then are dragged through the water? How does that happen? And second, assuming the boat operator cuts the line, aren’t they more or less just parachuting then back down to the water or ground?

they cut the line because the winds are too high. when they cut the line, the parachute continues going with the wind. they are tea bagged into submission or until they hit something.

[Your Mom 4855]

Doesn’t look very fun anyway. 

[mchookem 16411]

that seems like a terrible solution. 

'too much for us down here on the boat...goodbye and good luck!'

[huge 3795]

Parasailing was super boring to me when I did it as a 16 year old.

I wanted a roller coaster and I got a hot air balloon ride.

[Kennythetiger 9482]

10 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

so yea, you either get dropped from a few stories high and die a slow painful death of blunt trauma and drowning, or you get tea bagged to death repeatedly getting slammed into water as the parachute drags you for miles.

Five to seven minutes of being dragged through the water seems like it would suck. 

[phdhorn 6224]

I was on a parasail being towed by boat.  Winds died suddenly and I dropped like a roast beef turd.  I got dragged for about 15 sec. under, then above, then under the water.  Easily could have drowned.  Fortunately wind picked me back up.

So... been there, done that.  Don't need to go again.

[mchookem 16411]

also, with regard to the landing in water and then getting dragged...they put you in life vests, seems like an obvious solution would be easy detachment from the 'chute lines by the passengers...hit the water then cut yourself loose!

[Kennythetiger 9482]

1 minute ago, mchookem said:

that seems like a terrible solution. 

'too much for us down here on the boat...goodbye and good luck!'

Vaya con dios 

[DaggerHorns 3102]

I did it in Key West once. It was fun.

It seems really fucking stupid to be parasailing next to the bridge that was in the movie “True Lies.”

[Brisketexan 105451]

There's definitely a better way to go......

 

[crash_davis 23115]

also, when the initial line is cut due to high winds, you are not dropping a slow parachute rate. the wind blows the chute and you pick up speed as you drop. i imagine the initial water collision does a ton of damage. and then repeatedly getting slammed across the water with an intermittently almost drowning here and there will make for a miserable death.

[mchookem 16411]

we parasailed in Cancun...it was a giant flying inflatable couch lol. we just climbed on...guess if we'd hit the water we could have just jumped off.

[Brisketexan 105451]

1 minute ago, DaggerHorns said:

I did it in Key West once. It was fun.

It seems really fucking stupid to be parasailing next to the bridge that was in the movie “True Lies.”

I dunno, Arnold might catch you.

 

[ohchaucer 1443]

they cut the line because the winds are too high. when they cut the line, the parachute continues going with the wind. they are tea bagged into submission or until they hit something.

I assumed when they lose the forward pull of the boat they would slowly start to drop down (like a parachute) vs continuing to glide forward etc (like being roped to a sail).

Seems it’s the latter and yes that would suck. Glad my dumbass didn’t know that when my wife and I went in France a few years back. Based on my earlier assumption, once you’re out over the water the worst danger was having line cut and drifting into water and having to wait to get picked up.

They should put some sort of quick-release on the passenger harness.

[phdhorn 6224]

1 minute ago, crash_davis said:

also, when the initial line is cut due to high winds, you are not dropping a slow parachute rate. the wind blows the chute and you pick up speed as you drop. i imagine the initial water collision does a ton of damage. and then repeatedly getting slammed across the water with an intermittently almost drowning here and there will make for a miserable death.

Not to mention once you hit the water (if you don't squash yourself), if it's moving fast enough, the water pressure makes it extremely difficult to maneuver your arms or hands to unfasten this or unhitch that, or whanot.  You're basically a rag doll being pulled inside of a bunch of jello pudding.  But not as nice smelling.

[Chooky 13319]

[Deej 76964]

4 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

repeatedly getting slammed across the water with an intermittently almost drowning here and there will make for a miserable death.

Now imagine that happening for a decade.

 

[Your Mom 4855]

3 minutes ago, ohchaucer said:

They should put some sort of quick-release on the passenger harness.

What’s the worst that could happen with a bunch of drunk tourists having a quick release from the only thing keeping them aloft? 

[Chad Fuck 17816]

1 minute ago, Deej said:

Now imagine that happening for a decade.

 

Too soon. 

[mchookem 16411]

4 minutes ago, Deej said:

Now imagine that happening for a decade.

 

 

[crash_davis 23115]

this is kite surfing but the idea is the same. the video should start at when the surfer gets airborne. you are not gently falling to the ground. from a much higher altitude, you are being slammed to the water then getting dragged across the water for awhile.

 

[Chad Fuck 17816]

4 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

this is kite surfing but the idea is the same. the video should start at when the surfer gets airborne. you are not gently falling to the ground. from a much higher altitude, you are being slammed to the water then getting dragged across the water for awhile.

 

This does not seem entertaining.  Especially the ones where you get body slammed into the water and/or dragged along the rocks.  I saw multiple instances where people appeared to be stunned and could have been knocked unconscious.  What I didn't see were that many life vests.  

[TexasEd 8077]

damn,  gonna save these videos/stories for when my kids ask to do this stupid shit this summer.

[closetojumping 62891]

I didn't give it much thought when my wife saw parasailing while we were in Grand Cayman one time and decided excitedly that we had to do it, along with our little kids. We get on the boat and the driver and rigger are two mostly drunk young British guys. They harnessed me and my then 5 year old daughter in quickly and then they take off. Next thing I know, we are hundreds of feet in the fucking air, there's a storm building nearby, and I can see like 50 ways my little girl could slip out of the fucking thing and fall straight down. 

They wench us back eventually, my wife hands me the baby and quickly harnesses in along with our 7 and 3 year old boys. I just stood there, speechless, like an idiot as the Brits haphazardly just snapped them in and we all shot off as they went flying into the air. "Hey man, should be worrying about that building thunderstorm over there?" "No, mate, that's like 15 minutes away." "Okay then." I just sat there waiting to see a little dark object plummet from that fucking parasail into the water. 

When they got wenched back to the boat, my wife looked like death warmed over. Then the storm hit. We got to shore and both of us felt like kissing the sand. Yeah, fuck that. Would not recommend to my worst enemy. 

[Hermanator 7181]

Did it twice. Don't feel the need to anymore although it was enjoyable. Only problem was 2nd time while being brought back to the boat a strong gust caught the chute and threw us forward. Almost crashed into a metal upright bar on the boat but caught it with my hands and braced then held on. 

[TexasEd 8077]

There should be a mandate that all sails have Gritty's face on them.

[RDCanecutter 26476]

48 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

plummet

Automatic pos rep for plummet.

[cmontexas 3283]

Husband needs to slide on that boat captain

[Sawbonz 27614]

1 hour ago, closetojumping said:

I didn't give it much thought when my wife saw parasailing while we were in Grand Cayman one time and decided excitedly that we had to do it, along with our little kids. We get on the boat and the driver and rigger are two mostly drunk young British guys. They harnessed me and my then 5 year old daughter in quickly and then they take off. Next thing I know, we are hundreds of feet in the fucking air, there's a storm building nearby, and I can see like 50 ways my little girl could slip out of the fucking thing and fall straight down. 

They wench us back eventually, my wife hands me the baby and quickly harnesses in along with our 7 and 3 year old boys. I just stood there, speechless, like an idiot as the Brits haphazardly just snapped them in and we all shot off as they went flying into the air. "Hey man, should be worrying about that building thunderstorm over there?" "No, mate, that's like 15 minutes away." "Okay then." I just sat there waiting to see a little dark object plummet from that fucking parasail into the water. 

When they got wenched back to the boat, my wife looked like death warmed over. Then the storm hit. We got to shore and both of us felt like kissing the sand. Yeah, fuck that. Would not recommend to my worst enemy. 

Closetoplummeting 

[Sbbruin 21899]

Done it a couple of times out at Catalina.  Did the 800 ft (longer) option both times, and both times with one of my kids.  They dug it.  I liked it too.  But listening to the ropes go *pop* *ping* as they are stretched to their limits is a little distressing.

Parasailing always makes me think of this underrated movie

 

[TexasEd 8077]

Got a kick out of the rep for this post:

11 minutes ago, Sbbruin said:

Done it a couple of times out at Catalina.  Did the 800 ft (longer) option both times, and both times with one of my kids.  They dug it.  I liked it too.  But listening to the ropes go *pop* *ping* as they are stretched to their limits is a little distressing.

Parasailing always makes me think of this underrated movie

 

 

[Bevo 13601]

2 hours ago, closetojumping said:

I didn't give it much thought when my wife saw parasailing while we were in Grand Cayman one time and decided excitedly that we had to do it, along with our little kids. We get on the boat and the driver and rigger are two mostly drunk young British guys. They harnessed me and my then 5 year old daughter in quickly and then they take off. Next thing I know, we are hundreds of feet in the fucking air, there's a storm building nearby, and I can see like 50 ways my little girl could slip out of the fucking thing and fall straight down. 

They wench us back eventually, my wife hands me the baby and quickly harnesses in along with our 7 and 3 year old boys. I just stood there, speechless, like an idiot as the Brits haphazardly just snapped them in and we all shot off as they went flying into the air. "Hey man, should be worrying about that building thunderstorm over there?" "No, mate, that's like 15 minutes away." "Okay then." I just sat there waiting to see a little dark object plummet from that fucking parasail into the water. 

When they got wenched back to the boat, my wife looked like death warmed over. Then the storm hit. We got to shore and both of us felt like kissing the sand. Yeah, fuck that. Would not recommend to my worst enemy. 

Were you able to talk Greg Davis into it?

[ClubWhatever 12159]

I wouldn’t call those kite surfing videos accidents.  You strapped yourself to a huge kite in strong winds. 

[CHIEF 5095]

I went one time, with a buddy, on Lake Travis back around 2000. It was the dude with the pink boat out of Point Venture that we used. I don't know if my buddy had to pay extra, but he let all 1500 feet out, and had to run wide open to keep me in the air. My buddy thought it was a funny joke, but it absolutely sucked. I could see the streets of downtown Austin from fuckin' Jonestown. I didn't spend time enjoying the sights, I was just looking for the clearest areas along 1431. All I could think about was the deck not being able to take the stress of having that much line out. So much thinking. The water is 160 feet deep, ok, so I will lose 160 feet of altitude almost immediately, do I have enough line left to land at Bar-K in Lago Vista. I'm a pilot, and was in full loss of power emergency landing mode.

They started reeling me back in, so I was relieved, until the loose rolls would slip closer to the center of the reel. They would pull you in about 30 feet, then, the rope would slip, and you would shoot back up about 4-5 feet, and think the rope had snapped, or was unraveling. It was a nightmare. I told the boat owner, I was in legitimate in fear of death, and he should never do it to anyone again. Definitely in the top 5 near death, or thought you were gonna dies experiences of my life, I will never go again.

CHIEF 

[F250 28826]

Those were some fucking crazy stories CTJ and CHIEF shared.

The ex-wife tried to talk me into it a long time ago.

[MrBig 5445]

Not exactly parasailing but it makes me laugh. Looks like it hurts.

 

[KaiserSoze 998]

Good times

[rpspeed 1400]

Have done it 4 times without incident but  saw this happen a month before we went to Puerto Vallarta last year

 

[Scheiss Meister 8413]

I'm acrophobic.  No way in hell will I strap onto one of those.

[Deej 76964]

22 hours ago, rpspeed said:

Have done it 4 times without incident but  saw this happen a month before we went to Puerto Vallarta last year

 

Shocking.

[Prepuce of Doom 21110]

I did it as a teenager on a family vacation to Hilton Head. The boat driver did a little maneuver such that at one point, I was however many feet directly above my family, who were all watching me from the edge of the harbor. 

I tried to spit on them simply because I knew that I'd likely never have another opportunity to do something like that. 

They didn't say anything about it when I was finished, so I assumed that I missed. I asked my brother about it a few years later, and he confirmed that I missed all targets. But he sure was annoyed to learn of my effort. 

Edited June 3, 2022 by Prepuce of Doom

[Judge Roybeanbag 11821]

It’s no coincidence that parasailing and paraplegic both start the same way.

[austingirl 2192]

I'm sorry, I'm stuck on the fact that they cut the line. Am I missing some other definition of "cut the line", or is the actual procedure to send your parasailing clients to a horrible death when the winds get too strong? Or was the fact that they died after having the line cut an unusual occurrence?

[Nice Guy Eddie 13528]

Yeah I don’t fully grasp that the captain cut the line instead of reeling them back in. And if they don’t have the power to reel them in with high winds, perhaps that is a problem that should be addressed earlier.

I’ve never gone parasailing but I’ve always assumed it was a cheaper and less safe sky diving. Zip lines can also be sketchy depending on how well the lines are maintained.

Edited June 3, 2022 by Nice Guy Eddie