Dane was named only as 30-year-old Mr Stefan. Despite normal pre-flight checks at the small airport in Sri Racha, his parachute later failed due to an unexpected turn after he had jumped and opened the device. The man never regained consciousness and died later in hospital.

Saturday saw two tragedies in Chonburi and Phuket involving European tourists who lost their lives in accidents while holidaying in Thailand. In Chonburi, a 30-year old Danish man died after his parachute failed after opening while a 34-year-old Russian woman died while swimming off Patong beach in Phuket.

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Rescue workers remove the body of the Russian woman who drowned on Patong Beach yesterday morning in the Kathu district of Phuket. Hours later (inset) police found an unconscious Danish man at a small airfield in Sri Racha who had fallen to the ground when his parachute failed after the Dane made an unexpected turn while in descent. He died later at a local hospital.

Two European tourists died in Thailand on Saturday in separate incidents. In one incident, a Russian tourist died sometime before 9 am while swimming near Patong Beach while a Danish man was killed after his parachute failed after jumping at a small airport in the Sri Racha District of Chonburi. It is being reported by observers that the man turned in mid-air causing his parachute to fail.

The parachuting tragedy occurred in Nong Kam near the Nong Kho reservoir. Colonel Kongsak Bunsuwan Suwan of Nong Kham police station was called to the scene just before 12.30 pm. He was already informed that a foreigner had been injured in the accident.

Danish man lying unconscious face down

At the scene, a Danish man, named as Mr Stefan, was found unconscious lying on the ground, face down. His mouth and nose area were bleeding profusely. He was unconscious. His left leg appeared to have been broken.

Police officers were told that the man, a tourist, had participated in a parachute jump which led to his injuries.

Parachute jump team carried out pre-flight checks as normal but the 30-year-old Dane’s parachute failed after the Danish turned while in descent

The preliminary investigation revealed that field staff at the airport parachuting centre had undertaken routine drills as normal before the jump on Saturday morning.

These drills take place routinely prior to parachutists boarding a small aircraft which operates from the centre.

However, on Saturday, staff were appalled when the Danish man jumped from the plane to discover that his parachute failed after he made an unexpected turn while descending. The man then fell to the ground like a stone.

Died from his injuries in hospital

Rescue workers removed the badly injured 30-year old Danish national to Phayathai Sriracha Hospital. Medics there say the man’s injuries were fatal and he passed away shortly after he was brought in.

The police investigation into the death continues.

Patong police called to drowning on the beach

Earlier on Saturday at 9 am, Patong Police responded to a drowning incident at Patong Beach in the Kathu area of Phuket.

The officer who led the investigation team was Police Lieutenant Colonel Sarit Butnongsaeng, the deputy chief of Patong police.

Lifeguards tried to revive the 34-year-old Russian woman after she was rescued at Patong Beach

He discovered that lifeguards at the beach had tried to revive a 34-year-old Russian woman after she got into difficulties approximately 30 metres from the shore.

Her boyfriend, who was accompanying her at the beach, had stayed on shore to watch over the couple’s belongings.

The Russan woman’s name has not been released but she was part of a tour to Phuket organised by the Pegas tour agency.

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