Parasail victim 'joked about harness failure'

Glenn Hudson, 50, persuaded his daughter Emma to take part in the tandem parasail, reassuring her it would be a serene and safe experience.

As the pair floated above the Turkish beach, he spoke of how "lovely" and "peaceful" the experience was – before suddenly dropping to his death.

Miss Hudson, 25, had never imagined that his harness – which was apparently damaged by the sun – would give way.

She said she was worried that her own harness was not properly attached, but her father, a roof tiler from Colchester, Essex, told her to relax.

She said: "He was having a joke with me. I asked what would happen if you hit the water from that height, and he said, 'You wouldn't survive it, anyway.'.

"I never imagined that his harness would break and that would actually happen."

The pair took off on the 15-minute journey over the resort of Side on Saturday.

Miss Hudson, a sales manager, said: "We had been up in the air for about 10 minutes and we were just chatting. He kept reassuring me as I wasn't that comfortable.

"He was saying, 'It's lovely up here, it's really peaceful'. And then he just dropped. It didn't seem like it was happening. It was just like a dream. I was screaming, but it was like the noise wasn't coming from me."

Meanwhile, Mr Hudson's wife Linda, 51, was sunbathing on the beach, unaware of what was going on.

"I took some pictures then pulled a sunbed under a parasol, thinking they'd be back in a minute," she said.

"Then all of a sudden, I heard my daughter screaming for me. She ran up to me and said, 'Dad's fallen.'

The pair rushed to the area where Mr Hudson had fallen, but were blocked from going any further by Turkish men who had formed a barrier.

Mrs Hudson said that, when the safety harness was examined, it was found to be seriously damaged by the sun.

It was only on their return home that the family learned of other parasailing accidents in Turkey, including one last summer which was fatal.

Miss Hudson said: "I'm sure if my dad had known that, he would never have let us both go up there. We want other people to be aware of the risks."

Turkish police are now investigating the accident, and Mrs Hudson said she was told that the hire company, which operated from a beach-side shack, would be prosecuted.

Mrs Hudson, of Wivenhoe, Colchester, who works for a building firm, is now fighting for tougher regulation and considering suing the Turkish company which arranged the activity.

The couple, who went to school together, were due to celebrate their silver wedding anniversary on August 16.

The family were on a two-week family holiday with Emma and their son, Benn, 22, who at the time of the incident was shopping with his girlfriend.

On a previous holiday, Mr Hudson went parasailing with his 11-year-old nephew. He had even used the same company in the past.

Mr Hudson's body has not yet been returned to England as post-mortem examinations are still being carried out in Turkey. No date has been set for his funeral.