A Belgian father and daughter were seriously injured in a parasailing accident in Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer in southern France last Friday after the cable linking their parachute to the boat snapped mid-air.
The accident occurred on the beach at Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer, near Marseille, on 31 July. The pair were carried away by the wind before crashing heavily to the ground, according to Jessica Hoffmann, the wife and mother of the victims, who spoke on social media.
Witnesses quoted by local media said they struck several obstacles before coming to a halt on a grassy area near a car park.
Firefighters and emergency services quickly arrived to give first aid. The two victims were then taken to a hospital in Marseille for treatment.
In a Facebook post, Hoffmann said her daughter suffered, among other injuries, a compressed vertebra and will need to wear a brace. "She is doing a little better, but the pain is still there," she wrote.
Her husband underwent surgery, which she said went well. He suffered fractures to both wrists, his forearm, femur and kneecap.
"He did everything he could to protect our daughter as much as possible," Hoffmann added.
The family is now appealing to anyone who witnessed the accident to share testimony, photos or videos to help establish exactly what happened.
