A thrill-seeking extreme sports enthusiast tragically lost his life during a vacation in Turkey. Vyacheslav Gribanov, aged 37, crashed into rocks on Babadag mountain after descending from nearly 6,000 feet. This incident marks the third fatality in recent weeks in the realm of free flying on the Turkish Riviera. Speed flying, a high-energy pursuit, involves rapid descents near the ground utilizing a compact, high-performance wing or canopy specifically designed for this exhilarating activity.
Reports indicate that shortly after launching on a solo flight, Gribanov lost control and met a fatal end. Footage captured the moment the adventurous flyer embarked on his final flight, which tragically culminated in disaster. Speed flying entails significant risks, with participants reaching speeds of up to 95mph and flying in close proximity to the earth’s surface. The smaller wings used in this sport enable higher velocities and steeper descents. Gribanov’s camera was lost in the crash, prompting an ongoing search to determine the cause of the tragedy.
Another flyer’s footage revealed the location of Gribanov’s fall. A seasoned paraglider from St. Petersburg, Gribanov, who operated a construction business, had recently transitioned to speed flying and was undergoing training with an instructor. Reports mention the deaths of a German tourist in a flying incident and a Polish individual in a descent as a passenger, characterizing the number of fatalities as “uncommon.”
In a separate incident back in July, a well-known extreme sports influencer met his demise after a bike accident that led to a 600ft fall into a ravine. Andreas Tonelli’s family initiated a search when he did not return from a ride in the Italian Dolomites, prompting a large-scale helicopter search operation. His body was discovered in the Vallunga area of Val Gardena hours later and retrieved the following day. Authorities suspect that he plummeted from the mountain into the ravine below following the bicycle mishap. Tonelli, aged 48, boasted a substantial following on Instagram, where he frequently shared videos of his daring mountain biking escapades.
Moments before his fatal descent, Tonelli posted an Instagram story showing his smile at the summit. In a post preceding his demise, he expressed his passion for travel, mentioning, “But since I spend seven months a year traveling, I also call home all the other places in the world where I feel happy and free.” Tonelli had been organizing bike excursions since 2003, covering routes across Italy, Europe, and eventually globally. Known for his photography, hiking, and climbing pursuits, Tonelli proudly recounted his bicycle ascent of the active volcano Nevado Ojos de Salado in Chile.
Among his achievements, Tonelli completed the challenging L’Onda di Hokusai (‘Hokusai Wave’) route in the Dolomites, primarily comprised of frozen mountaintops, and successfully scaled the Tupungato volcano in central Chile.