A popular recreational activity in Florida turned fatal for a 31-year-old man last week in the Gulf of Mexico. The man died in a parasailing accident near Sarasota after falling 800 feet into the water, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FFWC).
After the victim got airborne on the parasail, the boat’s motor failed and he drifted back into the water. Once in the water, he signaled to the boat for help. Crewmembers on the boat pulled in the parasail’s ropes and discovered that the man was not breathing. He was wearing a life jacket at the time. Crewmembers performed CPR on the man but were unable to revive him.
Eyewitnesses said the victim did not land hard in the water. Authorities and the FFWC do not know what happened to him from the time he landed to the time the boat reached him. An investigation of the fatal accident is ongoing. Fun and Sun Parasail is the Bradenton-beach company that operated the parasail and boat.
The accident is the second fatal parasail accident in the past 12 months in Florida. Last September, a 27-year-old woman died off Clearwater Beach when her towrope snapped. The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating that accident.
Colson Hicks Eidson – Florida attorneys