TRAGIC footage shows a British base jumper making a fatal parachute error before hurling himself from a block of flats in Thailand.
Nathy Odinson, 33, gained access to the roof of a 29-floor apartment block in Pattaya and leapt off as a friend videoed him.
Footage showed Nathy Odinson’s final moments before plunging to his death in the coastal resort of Pattay in ThailandViralPress
Nathy’s brother said the daredevil died due to simple ‘user error’ViralPress
ViralPressNathy worked for a skydiving firm run by his father in Thailand[/caption]
But seconds later he slammed into a tree and then the ground after his parachute failed to open.
Nathy’s brother Ed Harrison, 39, said the chilling footage showed how the mini pilot chute was caught in the harness – meaning there was “no chance” it would have deployed.
Ed told The Sun that his daredevil brother died due to simple “user error”.
“Looking at that video, any skydiver would immediately tell you what is wrong,” he said.
“As he is standing he is holding a white mini parachute called a pilot chute that has a cord going to the main chute which is the bridle.
“You throw the pilot chute into the relative wind flow and that deploys the main chute in his bag on the back.
“What you can clearly see is that the bridle is routed through his harness so there is no chance it could have opened the main chute.
“It was a simple mistake he had made without realising. He looks hurried which is a bad thing, perhaps worried someone might have stopped the jump.”
He added: “It’s a really simple thing and you can see he has tried to rectify the bridle but he hasn’t looked and no-one else has done a check for him.
“Base jumping is dangerous because you don’t have a second chance.
“The equipment was checked after he died by a professional rigger and it was in good working condition. There was no problem with his kit.”
Ed, from St Neots, Cambridgeshire, paid tribute to his brother, saying he was a “hero” to his three children.
“He will be missed by so many people,” Ed said.
“He had done more than 5,000 jumps and had jumped all over the world.
“He had jumped in America, Spain, New Zealand, Thailand and the Philippines and had made friends in all of those places.
“He was fun-loving and joyful and was great with kids. He was a hero to my three children.
“They spoke to him frequently as I video called him every other day. They still can’t believe this is real.”
Nathy was using the same chute as Rowan Atkinson’s character in Johnny English Reborn.
It still had the word “Spying” on it after it was used in the 2011 James Bond parody starring Atkinson as an MI7 agent.
Nathy, who worked for a skydiving firm run by his father in Thailand, had been given it around a year ago by another skydiver who had been employed as a consultant on the movie.
Ed added: “He had been taking the letters off but hadn’t got round to taking them all off and is still said ‘Spying’ on it.
“Someone who had consulted on that movie had the chute and was on a trip that Nathy was on and he gave it to him. That’s how he got it.”
Nathy worked as a skydiver taking punters on tandem jumps as well as an aerial videographer.
He had also worked at Skydive Hibaldstow, in Lincolnshire, and was a base jumping enthusiast, even though it is illegal.
He had planned to jump from the roof of the Lumpini Ville Naklua condo in the coastal resort of Pattaya on Friday but called it off because of the weather.
A photo taken that day showed him on the roof with his chute packed in a black sack on his back.
He returned a day later wearing the same clothes and with his chute on his back again.
A video taken by a friend showed his last moments as he checked his equipment and that the camera strapped to his helmet was working.
He then stepped to the edge of the building and said: “Three, two, one, see ya” before jumping off.
Police and paramedics arrived at the scene shortly after 7.30pm local time but Nathy could not be saved.
Police Lieutenant Kamolporn Nadee said: “The parachute that the deceased used to jump malfunctioned.
“The friend who recorded the video of him jumping was questioned and the video was examined as evidence.
“Forensics officers are investigating the case further. They are examining the parachute.”
The Foreign Office said: “We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in Thailand.”
FacebookNathy on top of the same building the day before when the stunt was called off due to the weather[/caption]
Pixel8000The apartment block where Nathy fell to his death[/caption]
Viral PressThe British base jumper tragically died after plunging 29 floors[/caption]
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