After the Death of a Child: Ambulance Lacked Equipment During the Fatal Parasailing Accident in Nessebar

In Nessebar, the tragic death of an 8-year-old boy during a parasailing attraction on South Beach highlighted serious gaps in emergency response. Eyewitness Tihomir Atanasov told bTV that the first ambulance to arrive lacked proper resuscitation equipment. The team reached the scene 20 minutes after the alert, and upon discovering the missing equipment, a second ambulance had to be dispatched from Burgas, arriving nearly an hour later. During this time, rescuers and medical personnel fought to save the child’s life.

The incident occurred yesterday (August 18) at approximately 13:08 p.m. near the Aphrodite Hotel on Talisman Beach. The boy fell from a height of 40–50 meters while parasailing with his mother; she remained suspended in the air while he plunged into the sea. Despite rapid resuscitation efforts, the child was pronounced dead on site. Authorities have detained three individuals connected to the attraction.

Ivan Georgiev, head of Nessebar’s water rescue service, emphasized that all water-based attractions undergo mandatory inspections and require permits before the season begins. He described the event as unprecedented in Bulgaria.

Investigators are currently working to identify the precise technical reasons behind the rope failure. Meanwhile, authorities have pledged to conduct additional safety checks at water attractions along the Black Sea coast to prevent similar tragedies.