5 Chilling Facts About The Tijana Radonjic Parasailing Tragedy: Unbuckling The Truth Behind The 150-Foot Fall
The extreme sports industry was shaken to its core on May 28, 2025, by the tragic death of 19-year-old Serbian model and influencer Tijana Radonjic. The horrifying incident, which occurred during a high-altitude parasailing session in the popular tourist hotspot of Budva, Montenegro, has sparked a global conversation about the inherent risks of aerial activities and the psychological pressures that can lead to split-second, fatal decisions. This deeply unsettling event, captured on video, presents a complex case that goes beyond simple equipment failure, pointing instead to a sudden, catastrophic panic attack at 150 feet in the air.
As of today, December 23, 2025, the investigation into the circumstances of the fall is still underway, with authorities piecing together the final moments of the young woman's life. The story of Tijana Radonjic is a stark reminder of the thin line between an exhilarating adventure and an unimaginable tragedy, forcing both operators and participants to confront the hidden dangers of extreme tourism and the critical importance of mental preparedness alongside physical safety measures.
Tragic Profile: Who Was Tijana Radonjic?
Tijana Radonjic was a vibrant young woman whose life was tragically cut short at the height of her burgeoning career. Her background as a model and social media influencer made her death a high-profile case, drawing international attention to the dangers of unregulated extreme sports tourism.
- Name: Tijana Radonjic
- Age at Death: 19 years old
- Hometown: Novi Sad, Serbia
- Profession: Fashion Model and Social Media Influencer
- Incident Date: May 28, 2025
- Location of Incident: Budva, Montenegro (over the Adriatic Sea)
- Circumstance: Died after falling approximately 50 meters (164 feet) from a parasail.
- Alleged Cause of Fall: Unbuckled her safety harness mid-flight, reportedly due to a severe panic attack.
- Reason for Parasailing: She was participating in a promotional video shoot for a local parasailing company.
Radonjic was on vacation in the coastal town of Budva when she accepted the offer for a free parasailing ride in exchange for promotional content. This decision, intended to be a career opportunity and a thrilling experience, ultimately led to the catastrophic accident that ended her life.
The Budva Tragedy: A Mid-Air Panic and Fatal Decision
The incident that led to the model's death is a chilling study in the psychological impact of extreme heights and the body's fight-or-flight response. The parasailing session was reportedly taking place under seemingly normal weather conditions, eliminating external factors like high winds or equipment malfunction as the primary cause of the fall.
The Sequence of Events
The tragedy unfolded rapidly while Tijana was suspended high above the Adriatic Sea. Eyewitness accounts and the existence of a video recording provide a harrowing timeline of the final moments.
1. Promotional Flight: Tijana Radonjic was airborne, tethered to the tow boat, as part of a promotional video shoot for the local operator. The flight was intended to capture the breathtaking views of the Budva coastline.
2. Sudden Distress: Mid-flight, at an altitude of approximately 50 meters (164 feet), witnesses reported that Radonjic began to show signs of extreme distress. It is widely speculated that she suffered a severe, debilitating panic attack.
3. Unbuckling the Harness: In a desperate, self-destructive reaction to the panic, the young woman allegedly managed to unbuckle her safety harness. The mechanism of the harness allowed a person to unclip themselves, a design that is now under intense scrutiny.
4. The Plunge: Once the harness was unclipped, Tijana fell from the parasail and plunged into the sea below. She was immediately retrieved by the boat crew, but the severity of the fall from such a height proved fatal.
Investigation and The Question of Operator Liability
Following the catastrophic event, Montenegrin authorities immediately launched a full-scale investigation. The primary focus is on determining the exact cause of death and whether any criminal negligence or failure to adhere to safety protocols by the parasailing company contributed to the tragedy.
Key Investigation Points
- Harness Design: Investigators are scrutinizing the type of harness used, specifically its locking mechanism. The fact that a panicked individual could unbuckle the safety belt mid-flight raises serious questions about the design's fail-safes.
- Operator Protocol: The investigation is examining the operator's pre-flight briefing. Did the crew adequately assess Radonjic's mental state? Were clear instructions given on what to do in case of panic or distress? The owner of the company, Mirko Krdzic, has publicly commented, cooperating with the investigation.
- Psychological Risk Assessment: A major discussion point is the lack of standardized psychological screening in the extreme sports industry. While physical health checks are common, there are rarely checks for pre-existing anxiety or panic disorders that could be triggered at extreme altitudes.
As of December 23, 2025, no formal public charges have been filed against the Budva parasailing company or its employees, but the investigation remains active. The outcome will likely set a precedent for operator responsibility in cases where a participant's own actions, driven by panic, lead to a fatality.
Global Call for Tighter Parasailing Safety Regulations
The death of Tijana Radonjic has reignited the long-standing debate over the largely unregulated nature of the parasailing industry worldwide. Unlike aviation, which has strict federal oversight, parasailing operations often fall into a regulatory gray area, leading to a patchwork of safety standards across different countries and even different states within the US.
Lessons from the White-Miskell Act
The United States, particularly Florida, has been at the forefront of legislative efforts following a series of fatal accidents. The White-Miskell Act, passed in Florida, is often cited as a benchmark for what global regulations should look like.
Key requirements of the White-Miskell Act include:
- Weather Logging: Mandatory logging of weather conditions, including wind speed, before every trip.
- High Wind Restrictions: Prohibiting parasailing when sustained winds exceed 20 mph or when storms are within a 7-mile radius.
- Equipment Standards: Requiring specific safety standards for ropes, harnesses, and tow vessels.
The tragedy in Montenegro underscores the critical need for a similar, internationally recognized framework. The current investigation is expected to pressure the Montenegrin government to implement new, stringent safety laws, including mandatory dual-locking harnesses that prevent accidental or panicked self-release, and better training for crew members on how to identify and manage a passenger experiencing a mid-air crisis. The lack of federal regulations outside of specific local laws means that thrill-seekers in international tourist destinations often face significantly higher, and often unknown, levels of risk.
The LSI Factor: Understanding Extreme Tourism Risks
The "girl falls from parasail" incident highlights several critical factors within the extreme tourism sector. The search for LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) keywords related to this tragedy reveals a public interest in the underlying safety issues and psychological elements.
Topical Entities and LSI Keywords
- Psychological Factors: Panic attack mid-air, fear of heights (acrophobia), self-rescue attempts, psychological screening for extreme sports.
- Equipment & Failure: Safety harness failure, unbuckling mechanism, tow rope breakage, winch system malfunction, equipment inspection standards.
- Legal & Regulatory: Operator negligence, liability in extreme sports, tourism safety laws, lack of global regulation, NTSB safety recommendations, criminal charges in accidents.
- Geographic Context: Budva coastline, Adriatic Sea tourism, Montenegro extreme sports, Serbian model tragedy.
The case of Tijana Radonjic serves as a cautionary tale for the billion-dollar extreme tourism industry. It emphasizes that while equipment and weather are controllable variables, the human element—specifically the unpredictable nature of a panic-induced reaction—is a risk that must be addressed through better psychological preparedness, clearer communication, and harnesses with fail-safe designs that prevent a participant from unbuckling themselves while airborne. The hope is that this tragic event will finally spur comprehensive, global action to make parasailing a truly safe activity for all participants.
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