The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Da Nang City has announced a temporary suspension of paragliding activities at Son Tra Peninsula. This decision follows a tragic accident in which a tourist lost his life while participating in a paragliding experience.
On July 9, Mr. Nguyen Trong Thao, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Da Nang City, confirmed the suspension. The move aims to conduct a comprehensive review of all flight safety procedures, including equipment and protective gear inspections, evaluation of pilots’ qualifications and certifications, licensing processes, and the suitability of flight terrain.
According to Mr. Thao, after the incident, Tropical Forest One Member Limited Liability Service Company arranged transportation of the victim’s body back to Ho Chi Minh City and assumed responsibility for the funeral arrangements.
At the company’s headquarters in Son Tra Ward, only cleaning staff were present; there were no operational managers or customer service personnel. Staff at the site explained that visitors seeking information should contact the company by phone, as the premises function only as an administrative office, with most activities conducted elsewhere.
Mr. Thao further noted that paragliding is considered an extreme sport in Da Nang and has served thousands of tourists over the years. This is the first such fatal incident recorded in the city.
Currently, five companies are licensed to provide paragliding services at the Son Tra Peninsula paragliding site. These include:
- Central Paragliding Tourism Co., Ltd.
- Da Nang Bay Co., Ltd.
- Da Nang Paragliding Joint Stock Company
- Tam Phat Travel Co., Ltd.
- Tropical Forest One Member Limited Liability Service Company
All five businesses have met the safety requirements stipulated for non-motorized paragliding activities.
As previously reported by Dan Tri, on the afternoon of July 8, Mr. H.Q.T. (36 years old, residing temporarily in Ho Chi Minh City) visited the Son Tra Peninsula and hired a paragliding service. After taking off from a launch point on Son Tra Mountain, Mr. T. and the pilot encountered technical difficulties and crashed into the area near the mountain base, close to the shoreline.
Upon receiving the report, local authorities promptly arrived at the scene to carry out rescue and recovery efforts, as well as to investigate the cause of the accident.
