31-year-old uninjured

Treetop saves paraglider’s life in crash

The treetop slowed the paraglider's fall - and probably saved his life.(Bild: Bergrettung NÖ/Wien, Krone KREATIV)

A German had a stroke of luck in the Gutenstein Alps in Lower Austria. The paraglider hit turbulence during the landing approach and crashed into the ground. The 31-year-old's paraglider became entangled in a treetop. This probably saved his life ...

The incident occurred on Saturday at around 4.30 pm above the Muckenkogel. As reported by the Lower Austria/Vienna Mountain Rescue Service, the German is believed to have hit an air pocket in the area of the landing site - he quickly lost altitude. Before the man hit the ground at high speed, however, he got stuck in a treetop with his paraglider. From there, he was able to dial the emergency number himself.

Mountain rescuer Jürgen Schwarz, a specialist in tree rescues, immediately climbed up to the accident victim, secured with crampons and safety ropes. The pilot was then lowered from the treetop to the ground by the mountain rescue team consisting of seven rescuers using a cableway that had been set up and secured with an earth anchor.

The treetop slowed the paraglider's fall - and probably saved his life.(Bild: Bergrettung NÖ/Wien, Krone KREATIV)

Rescued almost unharmed
"In most cases, paragliding accidents are accompanied by extremely serious injuries. We are therefore pleased that we were able to complete this technically very demanding operation quickly and that the young man is safe and sound. Thanks to the volunteer mountain rescuers for their commitment!" says Thomas Bichelhuber, head of Lilienfeld Mountain Rescue.