Tourist Dies After Falling Into Sea During Parasailing in Cox’s Bazar

A tourist died after falling into the sea while parasailing at Dariyanagar beach in Cox’s Bazar on Saturday, police and local authorities said.

The deceased was identified as Shouvik Roy, a resident of Khulna, who had travelled to Cox’s Bazar with a group of nine people.

The accident occurred at around 12:30pm while Shouvik was taking part in a parasailing ride, according to police.

Sheikh Mohammad Ali, officer-in-charge of Cox’s Bazar Sadar Model Police Station, said the tourist fell into the sea during the ride.

He was subsequently rescued and taken to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital for treatment. However, doctors declared him dead after he was brought to the hospital.

Dr Subaktagin Mohammad Sohel, resident medical officer at the hospital, said Shouvik was brought in at around 2:10pm and was already dead at the time of arrival.

The exact cause of death will be determined following an autopsy, the medical officer said.

The body has been kept at the hospital morgue, according to Mahmudul Hasan, executive magistrate of the district administration's tourism cell.

The incident has raised questions about the operation of parasailing services at Cox’s Bazar, particularly amid adverse weather conditions.

Mahmudul Hasan said the district administration had already instructed all parasailing operators to suspend their activities because of the weather conditions.


Despite the directive, the operator involved in Saturday’s accident allegedly continued offering parasailing rides.

Following the incident, the operator's staff and the owner of the company reportedly fled the area, Mahmudul Hasan said.

Cox’s Bazar Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Abdul Mannan said no parasailing operator has been officially authorised to conduct the activity on the beach.


He said authorities had repeatedly taken action to shut down such operations, but the services resumed after some time.

The latest accident has therefore raised renewed concerns over enforcement of safety regulations and the monitoring of adventure tourism activities along the beach.

According to local residents, the parasailing service involved in the incident is operated by a company owned by Mohammad Farid. Locals alleged that the same operator had previously been involved in other parasailing-related accidents.

They also claimed that although the service had been suspended following earlier incidents, it was later allowed to resume operations.

The allegations have yet to be independently verified, and authorities are expected to investigate the circumstances surrounding Saturday’s accident.


The incident has also highlighted the risks associated with operating recreational activities in potentially unsafe weather conditions. Safety experts and local officials have repeatedly stressed the need for operators to follow weather-related restrictions and ensure appropriate safety measures before allowing tourists to participate.


With Cox’s Bazar attracting large numbers of visitors throughout the year, parasailing and other recreational activities have become popular among tourists. However, the absence of official authorisation for parasailing operations raises concerns about whether operators are meeting required safety standards.

Authorities are now expected to examine the operator's activities, the circumstances leading to the accident and whether existing directives were violated.


The death has prompted renewed calls for stronger monitoring of tourism-related activities at Cox’s Bazar and stricter enforcement against unauthorised operators.