Latest news with #HusseinMearbany
Daily Mirror
20-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Teen, 16, plunges to death in horror paragliding accident on family holiday
Hussein Mearbany fell hundreds of metres to his death while tied to a paraglider in Sahel Alma, Lebanon, with tributes remembering the teen who 'wanted to feel the adrenaline of flying' A teenager has died and a paragliding instructor reportedly went on the run following a horror accident during what was supposed to be a dream family holiday. Hussein Mearbany, 16, fell to his death while paragliding in Sahel Alma, a picturesque seaside village in Lebanon, with an instructor while on holiday with his family. The teen, from Western Sydney, Australia, plummeted around 300 metres and died instantly on May 10 after reportedly slipping out from an improperly fastened paragliding harness. The instructor is now the subject of an investigation, but local media reports he fled the scene after the accident. According to local media, the owner of the paragliding company has been arrested and all paragliding excursions have been suspended in the surrounding Jounieh area, around 40 minutes outside of Beirut. Police are now reviewing video footage of the horror incident to try and work out what happened. Speaking to 7NEWS Australia, the teenager's cousin Sam said he and his family were only two weeks into their holiday when tragedy struck, and that a funeral for the teen was arranged in Lebanon. She said: "When his father heard the news, he flew from Sydney to Lebanon to see him. "The day they leave Lebanon is going to be the hardest day of their life." Hussein's family shared a plea with Lebanese authorities via Al Arabiya Lebanon to take action against those responsible for his shock death. So far, police have arrested the owner of the paragliding company, which operated out of nearby Jounieh, as they continue to search for the missing instructor. As Hussein's family deals with the devastation in Lebanon, friends have paid tribute to the teen, with one person posting online saying he "wanted to feel the adrenaline of flying". They wrote: "(He) went to Lebanon for a holiday — full of dreams, excitement, and the energy of youth. Like many young men, he wanted to feel the adrenaline of flying, so he went hang gliding off the mountain peaks of Lebanon. What was meant to be a moment of thrill became his final moment. "May Allah grant his family patience and reunite them with him in the highest levels of Jannah. And as for us — still breathing, still planning, still distracted — take this as a wake-up call. The only promise in life is death." A spokesperson for the Austrailian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed the office is offering consular assistance to the family of an Australian who died in Lebanon. They sais: "We send our deepest condolences to their family at this difficult time,' a spokesperson said.
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Haunting final moments of an Aussie teen tragically killed in a freak paragliding incident while holidaying in Lebanon
The final moments of an Aussie boy killed while holidaying in Lebanon with his family have emerged. Western Sydney teen Hussein Mearbany, 16, was paragliding over the coastal town of Sahel Aalma near the nation's capital Beirut on May 10 when tragedy struck. It's understood that Hussein slipped from the paragliding harness mid-flight and plunged 300 metres to the ground. Harrowing footage of the ill-fated journey showed Hussein strapped in front of the instructor as they ran off the edge of a cliff. Early reports suggest the harness may not have been properly secured. The paragliding instructor allegedly fled the scene following the incident, local media reported. The owner of the the paragliding company, which operates out of nearby Jounieh, has since been arrested. Hussein's shattered family spoke to Al Arabiya Lebanon, calling for authorities to take action against those responsible for his death. The teen had been holidaying in Lebanon with his mother and siblings when his life was cut short. The family was just two weeks into the trip. His father made the mercy dash to Lebanon following the tragedy, where Hussein has been laid to rest. 'When his father heard the news, he flew from Sydney to Lebanon to see him,' Hussein's cousin Sam Merbani told 'The day they leave Lebanon is going to be the hardest day of their life.' His heartbroken family are due to return to Australia this week. News of the Guildford teen's death has sparked an outpouring of grief back home. '(He) went to Lebanon for a holiday — full of dreams, excitement, and the energy of youth. Like many young men, he wanted to feel the adrenaline of flying, so he went hang gliding off the mountain peaks of Lebanon,' an online tribute read. 'What was meant to be a moment of thrill became his final moment. The paragliding operators are understood to have fled the scene following the deatjh 'May Allah grant his family patience and reunite them with him in the highest levels of Jannah. 'And as for us — still breathing, still planning, still distracted — take this as a wake-up call. The only promise in life is death.' The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed consular assistance is being provided to the family of an Australian who died in Lebanon. 'We send our deepest condolences to their family at this difficult time,' a spokesperson said. 'Owing to our privacy obligations we are unable to provide further comment.' The incident comes two months after a grandfather was killed in a hang gliding incident in southern Brazil. Ricardo Stecanella, 52, was taking off from a mountain in Timbé do Sul, Santa Catarina on Sunday, before tragedy struck. Terrifying video showed Stecanella gliding towards his left for about 20 seconds and before making a sharp right turn. The wings then suddenly closed, causing Stecanella to drop 656 feet to the ground.
News.com.au
20-05-2025
- News.com.au
Australian teen dies in paragliding incident in Lebanon
An Australian teenager has fallen to his death in a horrific paragliding accident while on a family holiday in Lebanon. Hussein Mearbany, a 16-year-old from Western Sydney, was paragliding over Sahel Alma in tandem with an instructor, with initial reports suggesting he may not have been properly secured. The teen died instantly when he fell about 300 metres, his instructor, who allegedly fled the scene, is now the subject of an investigation. According to local media, the owner of the paragliding company has been arrested and all paragliding has been suspended in the surrounding Jounieh area, which is about 40 minutes from the capital Beirut. Authorities are now reviewing video footage of the incident which took place on May 10. Hussein was two weeks into a family holiday when the incident occurred, and his father, who had remained in Sydney, flew straight to Lebanon to be with the family, according to A funeral has been held in Lebanon for the teenager and his family is due to return home to Sydney this week.
Perth Now
20-05-2025
- Perth Now
Aussie teenager plunges to his death while paragliding on family holiday
An Australian teenager has died and a paragliding instructor is allegedly on the run after a horror flying incident in Lebanon. Hussein Mearbany, 16, was paragliding over Sahel Aalma, about 20 minutes north of Beirut, on May 10 when he slipped out of the lightweight aircraft and fell more than 300m to the ground, killing him instantly. Authorities believe the teenager's harness was not properly secured and are working to track the paragliding instructor who allegedly went into hiding following the tragedy. The owner of the paragliding company, which is based in nearby Jounieh, has been arrested, according to local media reports. Hussein's cousin Sam Merbani told the teenager, from western Sydney, was just two weeks into a holiday with his mother and siblings at the time of the tragedy. Merbani said a funeral was held for her cousin in the days after his death and the family made the decision to lay the teenager to rest in Lebanon. Local authorities have launched an investigation into Hussein Mearbany's death. Credit: Social media 'When his father heard the news he flew (from Sydney) to Lebanon to see him,' she said. 'The family arrives back to Sydney on the 21st (of May). 'The day they leave Lebanon is going to be the hardest day of their life.' Harrowing footage provided to shows Hussein's final moments as he took off on the ill-fated journey. In the video, the teenager can be seen strapped in front of the instructor as they ran off a the edge of a cliff. Other videos circulating online reportedly show the teenager falling through the sky moments later. Footage shows his final moments as he took off for the ill-fated flight. Credit: Supplied The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed it is providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian who died in Lebanon. 'We send our deepest condolences to their family at this difficult time,' DFAT said. 'Owing to our privacy obligations we are unable to provide further comment.' Members of the Islamic community gathered in Mearbany's home suburb of Guildford earlier this month to offer their prayers for the teenager whose life was tragically cut short. '(He) went to Lebanon for a holiday — full of dreams, excitement, and the energy of youth. Like many young men, he wanted to feel the adrenaline of flying, so he went hang gliding off the mountain peaks of Lebanon,' one tribute post reads. 'What was meant to be a moment of thrill became his final moment. 'May Allah grant his family patience and reunite them with him in the highest levels of Jannah. 'And as for us — still breathing, still planning, still distracted — take this as a wake-up call. The only promise in life is death.'
7NEWS
20-05-2025
- 7NEWS
Aussie teenager Hussein Mearbany killed paragliding in Lebanon
An Australian teenager has died and a paragliding instructor is allegedly on the run after a horror flying incident in Lebanon. Hussein Mearbany, 16, was paragliding over Sahel Aalma, about 20 minutes north of Beirut, on May 10 when he slipped out of the lightweight aircraft and fell more than 300m to the ground, killing him instantly. Authorities believe the teenager's harness was not properly secured and are working to track the paragliding instructor who allegedly went into hiding following the tragedy. The owner of the paragliding company, which is based in nearby Jounieh, has been arrested, according to local media reports. Hussein's cousin Sam Merbani told the teenager, from western Sydney, was just two weeks into a holiday with his mother and siblings at the time of the tragedy. Merbani said a funeral was held for her cousin in the days after his death and the family made the decision to lay the teenager to rest in Lebanon. 'When his father heard the news he flew (from Sydney) to Lebanon to see him,' she said. 'The family arrives back to Sydney on the 21st (of May). 'The day they leave Lebanon is going to be the hardest day of their life.' Harrowing footage provided to shows Hussein's final moments as he took off on the ill-fated journey. In the video, the teenager can be seen strapped in front of the instructor as they ran off a the edge of a cliff. Other videos circulating online reportedly show the teenager falling through the sky moments later. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed it is providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian who died in Lebanon. 'We send our deepest condolences to their family at this difficult time,' DFAT said. 'Owing to our privacy obligations we are unable to provide further comment.' Members of the Islamic community gathered in Mearbany's home suburb of Guildford earlier this month to offer their prayers for the teenager whose life was tragically cut short. '(He) went to Lebanon for a holiday — full of dreams, excitement, and the energy of youth. Like many young men, he wanted to feel the adrenaline of flying, so he went hang gliding off the mountain peaks of Lebanon,' one tribute post reads. 'What was meant to be a moment of thrill became his final moment. 'May Allah grant his family patience and reunite them with him in the highest levels of Jannah. 'And as for us — still breathing, still planning, still distracted — take this as a wake-up call. The only promise in life is death.'
