A British paraglider has been arrested after a fatal mid-air collision with another skydiver in Turkey which sent both men plummetting onto a hotel roof.
The British national – named as Thomas Aitken, 45 – is said to have been seized by police after 30-year-old Orkut Baysal died following their midair smash.
The freak crash in windy conditions happened in the Fethiye district, in the province of Mugla, on Sunday, April 30.
Baysal and fellow Turkish national paraglider Andac Unsal, 45, were reportedly performing a tandem flight at the same time that Aitken was carrying out a solo jump.
But during their descent, they collided, with both skydivers crashing into a hotel roof before landing on the edge of the resort’s swimming pool.
Some reports in Turkish media say that the two parachutes became entangled in the collision just 20 metres (65 feet) off the ground.
Local police and medics were sent to the crash site, with the injured paragliders taken to the Fethiye State Hospital for treatment.
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But Baysal died from multiple injuries. Both Aitken and Unsal were reportedly injured.
AItken was reportedly detained in police custody pending the outcome of the investigation.
Turkish police are investigating the cause of the collision and whether there was any potential negligence on behalf of those involved.
The deadly incident has reportedly raised questions regarding safety regulations and practices in the paragliding community.
The investigation is ongoing.
This is a developing news story. More to follow…
