British Adventurer Dies In Thai Cliff Fall

[george]

British Adventurer Dies in Thai Cliff Fall

TON SAI BEACH: -- A 38-year-old British tourist preparing to parachute off a cliff at a beach resort in Thailand fell to his death today

Neil Andrew Queminet of London had been climbing up a cliff with 390 miles south of Bangkok, said police Major Noppadon Mukdha .

Base – an acronym for Building, Antenna, Span, Earth – refers to parachuting from fixed objects such as towers, bridges and cliffs.

Mr Queminet and his two friends had climbed part of the way, and as they prepared to strap into ropes for the remainder of the climb, he fell about 330 feet, Noppadon said.

The Briton suffered head injuries and died at the scene, he said.

Ton Sai beach has long been popular with backpackers and rock climbers, mostly foreign tourists.

--SCOTSMAN.COM

[astral]

Sure beats Balcony jumping.

Climbing is a dangerous sport.

[george]

Optician killed in Thailand horror fall

TRIBUTES were paid last night to an optician who was killed in an horrific accident while preparing to parachute off a cliff at a Thai beach resort.

Adventure tourist Neil Queminet, from Colchester, plunged to his death yesterday morning UK time.

The popular 38-year-old, who worked as an optician in Sudbury, had been climbing up a cliff with two friends to go base jumping – an extreme parachuting sport - at Ton Sai beach in Krabi province, 390 miles south of Bangkok.

Mr Queminet and his two friends had climbed part of the way, and as they prepared to strap into ropes for the remainder of the climb, he fell more than 300 feet, a spokesman for the Thai police said.

He suffered head injuries and died at the scene, he said.

Known to his daredevil colleagues as Go-Go, Mr Queminet, of South Street, was an experienced base parachutist and had notched up more than 150 jumps from towers, bridges and cliffs around the world.

He left for his latest adventure with his long-term partner, Hayley Pilling, more than a week ago.

The couple were with friends on a special trip organised by the brother of the landlord of their local pub, the New Inn, in South Street, Colchester.

Pub landlord, Paul Thompson, said everyone who knew Neil was in shock.

"Neil was a personal and great friend and a lovely man and we are devastated about the news.

"We will obviously all miss him greatly – he was a very dear friend," he said.

Last night, Mr Queminet's friends gathered at the pub with most barely able to believe that he was dead.

One regular said: "He was one of the best, a smashing bloke – we really can't believe what's happened."

He was well known in the Sudbury area, where his parents, Robert and Carol, who live in nearby Great Henny, run the Queminet Partnership - a media marketing company - in North Street.

Ton Sai beach has long been popular with backpackers and rock climbers, mostly foreign tourists.

--EADT, UK, 2004-10-06

[Nam Kao]

Was he handcuffed?

[Up2U]

Was he handcuffed?

My informants tell me - no handcuffs, no plastic bag over the head, not shot in the back.

Genuine accident.

let's not be too flippant, seems he was a nice guy, here to enjoy himself - albeit in a way that would scare most of us sh1tless. My sympathies to his family and friends.

[dtoodnut]

I though for sure that he had just told his Thai Girlfriend she was his beneficiary on his insurance policy.

[damnaam]

I though for sure that he had just told his Thai Girlfriend she was his beneficiary on his insurance policy.

...now I like a laugh as much as the next guy but this is just not funny. If you stopped to think about what has happened here, even for just a second, then surely you'd agree that it is not something to be made light of...

[kenk3z]

Well, even his friend referred to him as a "smashing bloke".

kenk3z

[Eddy802]

Neil was in fact "a nice guy".

I'd like to thank damnaam and Up2U for your consideration of the feelings of his nearest and dearest.

See http://www.blincmagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22309 to get a feeling of the gap he leaves in our community.

I am proud to have known Neil as a friend, and hope you all experience similar sensitivity if ever you grieve someone you were close to, how ever they may pass.

Eddy

[Fraktalkid]

I was speaking with one of my friends last night at our local restaurant, who told me that Neil was on his way down to visit him in Phuket before the accident happened.

He told me that he was a genuinely nice guy. His death is quite tragic.

I didn't know him personally, but my condolences to Neil's family.

Rich