PATTAYA, January 28, 2024 — In a harrowing incident that unfolded at a condominium in Pattaya’s Nong Prue subdistrict, a 33-year-old British national, identified as Nathy Odinson, lost his life in a BASE-jumping accident on Saturday evening. The grim event transpired at approximately 7:30 pm, prompting local authorities to respond to reports of a body falling from a great height within the condominium premises.
The deceased, known for his passion for extreme sports, particularly skydiving, met his tragic end when a parachute malfunction occurred during a jump from the 29th floor of the Pattaya condominium. The incident has left the community in shock, with condolences pouring in from fans of Odinson’s skydiving endeavors on his Facebook fan pages, notably from “Nathy’s Sky Photography.”
On January 28, investigators questioned Mr. Boy, a close friend of the deceased, who had been acquainted with Odinson for around five months. Mr. Boy, visibly shaken and still in shock, provided valuable information during the two-hour interview. The British man’s love for extreme sports, documented in various social media posts, led him to attempt the ill-fated jump with a malfunctioning parachute.
The accident unfolded as Odinson, accompanied by Mr. Boy, accessed the condominium without authorization, parking his vehicle discreetly to avoid detection. The plan was to capture the BASE jump on video for content creation purposes. Witnesses within the condominium were startled by a loud crash, initially mistaking it for a falling tree branch, only to later realize the grim reality of a human body meeting a fatal end.
Further investigations revealed that Odinson, familiar with the condominium, had successfully executed jumps from the building on multiple occasions prior to this tragic incident. As the duo ascended to the 29th-floor rooftop, intending to record the jump, the parachute malfunctioned, leading to the fatal outcome. Mr. Boy recounted that the parachute snagged on the string, failing to deploy properly, forcing Odinson to collide with a tree before plummeting to the ground.
Deputy Investigator Kamolporn Nadee of the Bang Lamung Police Station, conducting an initial examination, found no signs of foul play. Authorities are now intensively questioning Mr. Boy, who was filming the jump, reviewing CCTV footage, and collaborating with the Chon Buri Provincial Forensic Evidence Department to compile a comprehensive report on the incident. The police emphasized the unauthorized entry of the two individuals into the condominium premises and revealed plans to contact the condo’s legal representative for additional information, promising a thorough review of CCTV cameras to understand the unauthorized access, thus concluding the ongoing investigation.