Pattaya firework tragedy: Tributes for popular Brit, 51, who was due to marry his Thai sweetheart this month

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Pattaya firework tragedy: Tributes for popular Brit, 51, who was due to marry his Thai sweetheart this month

 

 

The 51 year old British man who was killed by a firework on New Year's Eve in a soi in Pattaya was due to marry his Thai sweetheart this month. 

 

Gary McLaren had just returned from a trip to England with his bride to be who Thaivisa understands is Jasmine, from Buriram. 

 

Mr McLaren, who a friend said "exuded a good vibe", was killed when an apparent faulty firework exploded in his face. 

 

Half a dozen friends and revelers at the pub in Soi 13/2 desperately tried to save Mr McLaren who was extremely well known on the worldwide MotoGP bike circuit. 

 

The head of IT and technology on the racing circuit he was known to multiple GP World Champions Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi, a close friend said.

 

Mr McLaren was also a rider himself.

 

Earlier reports said that Mr McLaren tried to light the large firework in the street several times before the tragedy occurred. His friends tried to save him and rescue teams later took over with CPR but he reportedly died at the scene. 

 

Thaivisa understands that Mr McLaren and his fiancee were due to marry around the middle of this month. 

 

A message with a final picture of her fiance was posted on the Facebook page of "Jasmine Gmc". It just said poignantly: "You will be in my heart forever babe, RIP Gary McLaren".

 

 

Thaivisa understands that Jasmine is connected to the "Hairtopia" hairdressing salon on Pattaya 3rd road. 

 

Other condolences and tributes were left on Facebook. 

 

A close friend said that the victim's friends and those on a 39 member Line group that meet at a bar in Pattaya were in total shock. 

 

He said: "If there was one guy in our group that never had a bad word to say about others, who always had a smiling welcome and just exuded a good vibe, it was Gary". 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-01-01

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[Odysseus123]

A sad story.RIP Gary.

[from the home of CC]

death tends to knock on the door early for 'nice guys' for some strange reason... RIP

[Brigand]

A tragic tale and an all too sober reminder that life can be going swimmingly and then suddenly "Boom!" ... over. I've had my dealings here with dodgy Chinese fireworks in the distant past but for a long time now won't go anywhere near them and that thing he lit was way too big for where he was. I guess though it's easy to let hubris and euphoria get the better of you at these sorts of times after a few (and by all accounts he was on top of the world in many ways) but many fall foul and pay dearly. RIP dude and may those effected find solace somehow and continue on.

[richard_smith237]

Brutal... So very brutal - here living life to the full one minute then gone in a flash due to nothing more than a momentary lapse in judgement...  RIP

 

I hope this is a lesson to all of us - Live and enjoy life to the full while we can, but do not exceed the bounds of common sense !

 

 

[from the home of CC]

7 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Brutal... So very brutal - here living life to the full one minute then gone in a flash due to nothing more than a momentary lapse in judgement...  RIP

 

I hope this is a lesson to all of us - Live and enjoy life to the full while we can, but do not exceed the bounds of common sense !

 

 

unfortunately common sense is first thing to flee when drinking, which I believe adds to its allure..

[moonseeker]

Really sad. Soubds  like a very nice guy. RIP. MS>

[Jip99]

R. I. P. 

[Yadon Toploy]

He's a Brit, and we were repeatedly told at school not to go back to lit fireworks. This is why.

 

Must have had a drink in him as well so probably wasn't thinking, poor sod.

 

Up in the village last night they were all setting off these fireworks, kids as young as 10 too. 

 

RIP Gary.

 

 

[Kan Win]

Rest in Peace Gary McLaren  

[Aussieroaming]

Condolences to Gary's family and friends and RIP Fella, burn some rubber wherever you are now.

[steven100]

13 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

unfortunately common sense is first thing to flee

the same could be said for drug users, politicians, today's youth, thai road users, residents of Logan, and a whole lot more .... 

[thailand49]

R.I.P.

[phitsanulokjohn]

RIP Fellow biker.

Absolute nightmare of a start to the new year for his fiancee and his family,my sincerest condolences go out to his family.

[jacko45k]

This is so sad.

I hope that that the underlying issue of dangerous explosives being sold freely on the streets of Pattaya is not overlooked.

[Chongalulu]

39 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

This is so sad.

I hope that that the underlying issue of dangerous explosives being sold freely on the streets of Pattaya is not overlooked.

Sadly, like everything else here this will just be put down to "one of those things" and nothing will change. They can’t even address the far more serious problem of tragedies on the road. In the UK some major retailers (Sainsbury’s) are ceasing selling fireworks.

[hotchilli]

15 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Earlier reports said that Mr McLaren tried to light the large firework in the street several times before the tragedy occurred.

Tragic mistake & paid a heavy price.

RIP

[Xaos]

 

 

 

Edited January 2, 2020 by Xaos

[oaktreeva]

Sad very sad RIP

[Jaxxper]

RIP. 51 is no age to go.

Condolences to his family, friends and fiancé.

[DennisE]

We had a few fireworks that must have been faulty as well and I have the whole incident on video on Facebook it’s somewhat dramatic we had two fireworks mishaps. In my video it looks like a huge explosion it’s actually funny just because no one got hurt thank God. On video our second mishap was pretty big. The first one was funny as well but the second one made my video even funnier. 

Edited January 2, 2020 by DennisE

[vacajan]

R.I.P. Gary

 

[Sticky Wicket]

15 minutes ago, Xaos said:

 

 

 

I don't mean to speak ill of the dead, but bending over and putting your face right over a massive firework ain't the best idea, especially when you can see that it's lit.

A moment of madness, RIP

[RandolphGB]

Would have been a very different story if the firework had fallen over and taken out an innocent bystander. 

 

A grown man should know better than playing with fireworks - while drunk - in a small street. 

[DennisE]

I mean normally bottle rockets are supposed to go up not sideways especially when they were set up properly taking a little time to make sure it was done right. And then two minutes later we had one launching like 5 motors from one tube explode on the ground it was HUGE and IT KEPT ON FIRING ALL FIVE SHOTS. Luckily no one was hurt. 

[PBXVS1100]

10 minutes ago, Sticky Wicket said:

I don't mean to speak ill of the dead, but bending over and putting your face right over a massive firework ain't the best idea, especially when you can see that it's lit.

A moment of madness, RIP

Sad, but is it just me or does it look like he isn’t even trying to move away. His placing his face directly above the explosive possible to self harm or commit suicide.???  

 

He was a racing engineer for Suzuki’s motogp team and won while he was on the team a few times there.  He wasn’t a stupid person. But if that wasn’t on purpose he must have been really boozed up. 

 

[DennisE]

15 minutes ago, Sticky Wicket said:

I don't mean to speak ill of the dead, but bending over and putting your face right over a massive firework ain't the best idea, especially when you can see that it's lit.

A moment of madness, RIP

That unfortunately was probably part of it because even if it is faulty if you’re careful as we were you SHOULD be ok. But we were lucky none of the 20 people in the yard got hurt except for a few little tiny burns everyone was fine. And I let the owner of the property shoot them I didn’t even fire them myself this year I just watched and filmed it this year. 

Edited January 2, 2020 by DennisE

[spiekerjozef]

Very sad story. R.I.P

[from the home of CC]

1 hour ago, steven100 said:

the same could be said for drug users, politicians, today's youth, thai road users, residents of Logan, and a whole lot more .... 

all of the above loses common sense when drunk? You missed half of what was quoted and who the hell is Logan?

[bristolgeoff]

RIP what a way to go from a firework in pattaya