TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A 52-year-old man died Saturday after a paragliding accident at the Saijia Paragliding Field in Pingtung, authorities said.
The Pingtung County Fire Department said it received a report at 2:50 p.m. that a paraglider had fallen from a height of about 10 meters near the landing area of the airfield. Emergency responders arrived at the scene about twenty minutes later and found the man without a pulse or respiration, per CNA.
He was given emergency treatment and transported by ambulance to Pingtung Veterans General Hospital Longquan Branch, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The deceased, surnamed Dai (戴), was from Taichung.
According to Saijia Paragliding Airfield staff, weather conditions were normal at the time of takeoff. Witnesses near the scene reported that the paraglider appeared to encounter a strong gust of wind while descending at low altitude.
The sudden gust caused the pilot and paraglider to tumble in the air before crashing to the ground. Police said no other people or vehicles were injured in the incident. Dai’s family has been notified, and an investigation is underway.
Authorities said Dai had traveled to the airfield with a friend but was paragliding alone at the time of the accident. Preliminary investigations indicate he had about four years of flying experience.
The Pingtung County Sports Development Center said a flight safety committee will be convened in accordance with regulations to investigate the incident, and a report will be prepared and released following the investigation.
