Dad-of-two plunged to death after paraglider spiralled out of control in freak accident in Himalayas

A DAD-OF-TWO plunged 70ft to his death after being caught by a gust of wind while paragliding in the Himalayas.

"Avid adventurer" Ian Meekcoms, 48, was flying with his brother Colin on Thursday afternoon during a fortnight holiday in India.

Ian's glider was hit by an unexpected wind and caused him to fall and smash into the mountains at Jhatingiri.

He had tried to pull his emergency parachute open but was too close to the rocks.

His wife Annette, 48, a former PA at Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, said: "He was just wonderful. Just a lovely, lovely man.

"He was a good dad and everyone just said he was wonderful, he was so kind and would do anything for anyone.

"He was a real family man, he loved his boys so much. I now just feel so numb.

"He died too soon but he is flying free now."

The couple had been married for 21 years.

Ian was a keen paraglider and took his first flight in 1989 before taking a break from the sport whilst his two children Jack, 15, and Toby, 12, were growing up.

The dardevil, who lived with his family in Hertfordshire, had moved to the UK after living in Turkey where he hired out watersports equipment.

Ian took up the paragliding again last year and became a member of various clubs.

On the day of his death Ian was rushed to the Civil Hospital in Joginder Nagar, just 7 miles from where he crashed.

He died with his brother at his bedside.

Colin said: "My brother was an avid adventurer. He had been doing it for last 25 years. This is shocking and heart-breaking that he died in such an accident. It is unbelievable."

Annette, who worked for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur for 14 years as PA to managers including Harry Redknapp, was being comforted at the family home in Waltham Cross, Herts.

The Foreign Office has confirmed it is assisting the family.

A post mortem was carried out over the weekend and results are expected shortly.

A tribute on a paragliding forum read: "On October 14th, while flying in the Himalaya, Ian's glider suffered a low level deflation and cascade. He threw his reserve but there was insufficient height for it to fully deploy.

"Ian succumbed in hospital without having regained consciousness though his brother Colin was with him throughout.

"As anyone who met him will know, Ian was the life and soul of every situation and will be sorely missed. He started paragliding in 1989 and was still full of the joys of flight having restarted flying last year after a few years lay-off.

"My deepest sympathies go to his family and many friends, especially Colin, his wife Annette and his young sons, Jack and Toby.

"Fly free forever my friend."

Ian had lived and worked in tourism with his wife in the French Alps and then hired out watersports equipment in Turkey before settling down back in Hertfordshire.

Kamlesh Kumar, head constable at Joginder Nagar Police Station said: "We were informed about the incident around 2:15pm and immediately sprung to the spot. Ian was badly injured and was taken to government hospital but unfortunately he died after preliminary treatment.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We have offered assistance to the family of a British national who died in northern India on 13 October, and we are in contact with the local authorities."

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