Tourist dies in Cox's Bazar parasailing mishap

Dhaka: A tourist died after falling into the sea while parasailing at Cox's Bazar, with authorities blaming an operator who defied a suspension order issued due to rough weather.

The victim, Shouvik Roy of Khulna, was on a trip with a group of nine when the accident took place around 12:30 pm at Dariyanagar beach, according to police.

Sheikh Mohammad Ali, Officer-in-Charge of Cox's Bazar Sadar Model Police Station, said Roy fell into the water mid-ride. He was pulled out and rushed to Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead.

Resident Medical Officer Dr. Subaktagin Mohammad Sohel said Roy was declared dead on arrival at 2:10 pm. The exact cause will be confirmed through an autopsy.

Mahmudul Hasan, Executive Magistrate at the district administration's tourism cell, said the body was sent to the hospital morgue. He confirmed all parasailing operators had been ordered to halt activities because of adverse weather, but the operator involved in this incident ignored the directive.

Following the accident, the operator's staff and owner reportedly fled the scene, Hasan added.

Cox's Bazar Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Abdul Mannan said no company is officially authorized to run parasailing rides on the beach. "We have repeatedly shut down these operations, but they resume after some time," he said.

Locals identified the operator as a company owned by Mohammad Farid, alleging it had been linked to earlier parasailing accidents. Despite past suspensions, the service reportedly kept resuming, drawing renewed criticism of weak enforcement and oversight of beach tourism safety standards in the area.