Paraglider crashes in Fethiye; pilot and Chinese tourist die

Fethiye, Turkey – A paragliding pilot and his Chinese passenger tragically lost their lives during a tandem flight in the popular tourist destination of Fethiye, Muğla province. The incident occurred when their paraglider plummeted into a rocky, steep area shortly after launching from the 1900-meter piste of Babadağ mountain.

The pilot, identified as Ali Kıdıl, and the tourist, Xiangrui Meng from China, had embarked on their morning flight when the accident happened. Other paraglider pilots who witnessed the crash immediately alerted emergency services.

Rescue operations were launched, involving UMKE (National Medical Rescue Team) and Jandarma Search and Rescue (JAK) teams. However, the challenging nature of the terrain, characterized by its rocky and steep slopes, significantly hampered their efforts. It took approximately 10 hours of arduous work for the teams to reach the crash site.

Helicopters were deployed to assist in the operation. After the extensive and difficult rescue effort, the bodies of the two individuals were recovered. They were subsequently transported by helicopter to the Fethiye State Hospital morgue.