British BASE jumper dies after falling from condo in Thailand after parachute failure

(CNN) — A British base jumper in Thailand has died after his parachute failed to open while jumping from an apartment building, local police told CNN.

Police Colonel Naveen Sinthurat told CNN that authorities in the popular Thai seaside resort city of Pattaya were alerted to an accident at a residential complex around 6 p.m. Saturday.

He said that the victim has been identified as 33-year-old British citizen Nathy Odinson.

Facebook and Instagram accounts believed to belong to Odinson featured numerous photos of skydiving and base jumping, an extreme sport in which enthusiasts jump from buildings, antennas, bridges and cliffs.

Odinson jumped from the 29th floor of the building, which was 32 stories high, Sinthurat said.

Odinson is believed to have been involved in the business of selling parachute kits for about 10 years, Sinthurat said. His body was identified by his father, who has been living in Thailand for 20 years, he said.
Police confirmed that a parachute backpack was still attached to Odinson’s body and said that the parachute kit was possibly defective. “It was definitely an accident,” Sinthurat said.

There was another man at the scene when Odinson jumped, he added, “a dude.” “I was filming it,” Sinthurat said.

Investigation is ongoing. Thai police said they were trying to find out whether Odinson had used the same location for parachutes before. Images from security cameras were also recovered.

CNN has contacted the British Foreign Office and the British Embassy in Bangkok for further comment.