Pilot killed in paragliding crash in Western Cape
An investigation will be conducted into a mountainside paragliding accident which claimed the life of an experienced pilot during a weekend solo cross-country flight in the Western Cape.
The pilot succumbed to his injuries on Saturday near Wolseley and his body was retrieved by helicopter on Sunday.
“The 48-year-old pilot was an experienced instructor and was conducting a solo cross-country flight. The reasons for the accident are unknown, and the matter will be handed over to the Accident and Incident Investigations Division (AIID) for further investigation,” said the South African Hang-gliding and Paragliding Association (SAHPA).
Rescue efforts were co-ordinated by the Aeronautical Rescue Co-ordination Centre (ARCC). A helicopter rescue team was unable to recover the body on Saturday evening due to the difficult terrain of the crash site and adverse weather conditions. The body was later recovered by South African Red Cross Air Mercy Service (AMS) helicopter.
“ER24 paramedics were airlifted to the patient after his friends had noticed the man had gone missing while paragliding in a group and began to track him on a GPS device,” said ER24 spokesperson Russel Meiring.
“Medics and rescue personnel were lowered to where the patient was found lying. On assessment, medics found that the man showed no signs of life. Unfortunately, nothing could be done for him, and he was declared dead.”
SAHPA spokesperson Louis Stanford said: “Paragliding is a challenging and very rewarding sport. However, it does have inherent risks. As this matter has been referred for further investigation, it would be inappropriate to speculate on the reasons for the accident.
The crash happened just more than a month after a German paraglider succumbed to his injuries after an accident on Lion's Head in Cape Town. Circumstances leading to the crash are also under investigation.
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