Content Warning: This article discusses a fatal accident which may be distressing to some readers.
A young Serbian model has lost her life in a heartbreaking accident while filming a promotional video for a parasailing company at a popular tourist destination.
Nineteen-year-old Tijana Radonjic had been recruited to appear in a video for a parasailing operator in Montenegro on May 28. The plan was to capture her soaring above the Budva Riviera, harnessed to a speedboat.
Instead, footage reveals Tijana unbuckling her safety harness mid-flight, reportedly during a panic attack. Witnesses said she plummeted headfirst into the sea from around 150 feet in the air, crying out: “Put me down! Put me down!” just before impact.
Paramedics who rushed to the scene pronounced her dead when they recovered her from the water.
Mirko Krdzic, owner of the parasailing business, said:
“I am truly sorry for the death of this young woman. I hope to meet her parents and offer my condolences personally. We are all in shock.”
He continued:
“I don’t fully understand what happened. She showed no sign of fear beforehand and had completed training before the tragedy occurred. Technical checks on all the equipment are ongoing, and we’re waiting for the autopsy results.”
According to the Daily Mail, Tijana’s parents, Branka and Goran, shared a heartfelt tribute ahead of her funeral:
“We will never accept this or come to terms with it. You will forever be in our hearts. Our brave girl, we love you endlessly and will miss you always. Rest in peace and may the angels protect you — now you are one of them.”
Republika reports that Tijana was on holiday with her aunt at the time. Her aunt posted a moving tribute, writing:
“I can’t believe I’m writing this. We should be talking about swimsuits, where to have coffee while the baby naps, and singing songs in the car. We were supposed to be enjoying the sun, and you said, ‘Go ahead, rest, I’ll take care of the baby now.’ We should have been celebrating graduation, not this loss.”
“I can still hear your laughter, see how you held my son, how you talked and laughed with him,” she added.
Another family member remembered Tijana as a joyful spirit:
“She was always smiling, full of life, and never cared about what others thought.”
