Father-of-four football fan, 55, died while paragliding in French Alps

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Tragedy as Briton is killed while paragliding in the French Alps: Family pay tribute to father-of-four football fan, 55, who once told loved ones: ‘If I die while paragliding, at least I die doing what I love’

  • Martin Andrew Dyer, 55, died on Sunday, July 14, in Annecy in southeast France
  • The father-of-four died ‘doing what he loved’ paragliding in the French Alps
  • Mr Dyer, of Rhyd y Byll in Rhewl, north Wales, was an experienced paraglider
  • His family told an inquest they ‘cannot hate a sport that brought him so much joy’

A father-of-four was ‘doing what he loved’ when he died in an accident while paragliding in the French Alps. 

Martin Andrew Dyer, 55, was killed on Sunday, July 14 near Annecy in south-eastern France.

Mr Dyer, of Rhyd y Byll in Rhewl, near Ruthin, was an experienced paraglider who often flew from Moel Famau – a popular paragliding spot in the area.

But after years of flying on the Clwydian Range, the carpenter and former doorman ‘started to dream of bigger and better things’ according to his daughter, Beth.

Father-of-four, Martin Andrew Dyer, 55, of Rhewel, north Wales, was ‘doing what he loved’ when he died in an accident while paragliding in the French Alps near Annecy on July 14.

Mr Dyer, a former Ipswich Town footballer and manager at Ruthin Town Reserves, had turned his attention to the French Alps years earlier but was forced to cancel his trip due to the pandemic. 

He was finally able to go in July and was later joined in France by his friend and fellow paraglider Brian Sanders, with whom he had been on two other holidays.

Mr Sanders told the inquest that the conditions on July 14 were ‘windy and not ideal for mountain flying’. 

The pair had took off separately that day and Mr Sanders said he became worried after he saw pieces of orange fabric matching Mr Dyer’s paraglider at the bottom of a prominent rock structure in Talloires-Montmin in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

A Chamonix mountain rescue team attended the scene and Mr Dyer was sadly pronounced dead at 6.15pm. A cause of death of multiple injuries was heard at the inquest at Ruthin County Hall today.

Mr Dyer was an experienced paraglider who longed to try out the sport over the French Alps

His daughter, Beth, told the court that the family’s ‘worst fear came true’ when they heard of Mr Dyer’s death but they ‘cannot hate a sport that brought him so much joy’. Mr Dyer, who also used to run the Corporation pub in Ruthin, had previously told his family: ‘If I die, at least I die doing what I love’, the inquest heard.

Mr Dyer’s body was repatriated back to the UK which triggered inquest proceedings. A cause of death of multiple injuries was heard by senior coroner for North Wales east and central, John Gittins, who recorded a conclusion of misadventure – which is a deliberate human act with unintended consequences.

A statement issued on behalf of the family back in July read: ‘We are all truly heartbroken to have lost our Dad. He was full of life and laughter, and would drop everything in an instant if any of us needed him.

‘He encouraged us in everything we did, and made us believe we could achieve anything we put our minds to. The hole he leaves behind in our lives will be felt by so many, as he was loved by so many.

‘He was a very funny man, and was always spreading joy to others. Although our hearts are heavy, the memories we have shared will live on forever.’

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