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Australian tourist Roger Hussey falls to death while parasailing in Phuket, Thailand

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A prominent Western Australian businessman has fallen to his death while parasailing on the Thai resort island of Phuket. 

Roger John Hussey's wife was filming the flight on Kata beach when he plunged into the sea.

A video of the flight posted on Facebook showed Mr Hussey being strapped into safety gear on the beach, but that straps between his legs were left undone.

He was relaxed and smiling.

The video then shows Mr Hussey and a crew member being pulled up into the air as the boat left the beach. Mr Hussey fell as the parasail wing was still climbing.

Thai media reported the two-minute video was recorded by Budsabong Thongsangka, Mr Hussey's wife.

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It was apparently posted on Facebook after being handed to police.

Beachgoers screamed and rushed to bring Mr Hussey ashore but he was having difficulty breathing and died later in hospital.

Police said they were preparing charges against the parasailing business owner.

The crew member was being interrogated.

Mr Hussey, 71, was based in Perth and was on the board of numerous companies and not-for profits, including Landgate WA, WA Neuroscience Research Institute and the Bali Eye Foundation. 

He had been holidaying with his wife in northern Thailand and Phuket and they were due to return to Australia on Friday, Thai media reported.

Parasailing is popular with tourists in Phuket, where up to 20,000 Australians visit each month.

In February, Emily Collie, 20, from Kyabram in north-east Victoria, was killed in a jet-ski crash off the same beach.

Her partner Thomas Keating later pleaded being guilty of reckless driving causing death.

A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian man who died in a parasailing accident in Phuket but declined to comment further due to privacy obligations. 

Originally published on smh.com.au as 'Australian tourist Roger Hussey falls to death while parasailing in Phuket, Thailand'.