Raigad (Maharashtra), May 25 (IANS): A 15-year-old youth from Pune was killed instantly and his father critically injured in a para-sailing accident here on Saturday morning, police said.

The incident occurred at the famed Murud Beach near Alibaug, where the victims had arrived on a weekend holiday, said police officer G.D. Lavate.

"When they were para-sailing on the beach, on an estimated height of over 80 feet, the strings of the parachute suddenly snapped and they hurtled down," Lavate told IANS.

While Vedant Pawar died instantly on impact with the beach, his father was rushed to a local hospital in a critical condition.

Lavate said para-sail operator Sagar Chaulkar and others have been booked under Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, negligence and other charges.

Vedant's body has been sent for an autopsy to Raigad Civil Hospital, while his father is the intensive care ward in a nearby hospital.

A probe has been initiated into the safety and security measures of various parachute and other adventure sports operators on Murud, Kashid, Alibaug and other popular beaches dotting the coastal Konkan region which attracts hordes of tourists from all over India.