A thrill-seeking extreme sports enthusiast tragically lost his life while engaging in speed flying during a vacation in Turkey. Vyacheslav Gribanov, aged 37, crashed into rocks on Babadag mountain after taking off from an altitude of nearly 6,000 feet. This incident marks the third fatality in recent weeks involving free flying activities along the Turkish Riviera.
Gribanov, a Russian national, encountered a fatal accident shortly after initiating his solo flight, resulting in his untimely demise. The sport of speed flying, characterized by rapid descents in close proximity to the ground using a small, high-performance wing, poses significant risks with speeds reaching up to 95mph. Gribanov’s camera, lost during the crash, is being sought to shed light on the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
Video footage captured the location of his fall, highlighting the dangers inherent in this high-risk sport. Gribanov, an experienced paraglider from St Petersburg who had transitioned to speed flying and was undergoing training with an instructor, met a tragic end. Reports also mention the fatalities of a German tourist in a flying mishap and a Polish individual during a descent, emphasizing the unusual spike in deaths within this activity.
In a separate incident back in July, another extreme sports influencer, Andreas Tonelli, met a similar fate after a fatal biking accident that led to a 600ft plunge into a ravine in Italy’s Dolomites. Tonelli, aged 48, known for his daring mountain biking exploits shared on Instagram, had a significant following. His body was discovered in a ravine hours after being reported missing, with authorities attributing his fall to the aftermath of a bicycle mishap.
Tonelli’s social media posts reflected his passion for travel, with a recent message expressing his connection to various locations worldwide. Renowned for organizing bike expeditions since 2003 across Italy, Europe, and beyond, Tonelli’s adventurous spirit extended to photography, hiking, and climbing pursuits. His accomplishments included conquering challenging routes like L’Onda di Hokusai in the Dolomites and scaling the Tupungato volcano in Chile.
