On May 24th, a paragliding enthusiast in mainland China was accidentally sucked into the clouds while flying in the Qilian Mountains, reaching an altitude of 8598 meters. His body was covered in ice in multiple places, but luckily he managed to safely land his paraglider, sparking concerns.
Paragliding enthusiast “Brother Six” was paragliding in the Qilian Mountains at the border of Gansu and Qinghai provinces. A video circulating online showed that at the time of the incident, he was not wearing an oxygen mask, his face was exposed to the air, and his body was covered in ice, yet he maintained consciousness and controlled the paraglider, eventually landing safely.
“I felt a lack of oxygen at that time, my hands were freezing outside. My hands were exposed… I kept talking through the headset,” he said.
On May 26th, a source close to “Brother Six” informed “Red Star News” that he is currently recovering and is not available for interviews. He also expressed that he doesn’t want netizens to continue focusing on this incident and amplify the situation.
The source mentioned that although “Brother Six” holds a paragliding license, the flight on the day of the incident was not reported, including the take-off location. Authorities have initiated an investigation into the matter.
Mainland netizens commented, “It’s so high, almost scared to death.” “It’s really dangerous, thankfully nothing serious happened.” “He’s really lucky.” “A miraculous escape.” “Returning safely is the greatest fortune. Remember to report the flight plan in advance, safety always comes first.” “Flying illegally… should be punished.”
It is reported that “paragliding cloud sucking” refers to the phenomenon in paragliding sports where pilots are rapidly carried to high altitudes due to strong updrafts near the clouds (such as thermals or cumulonimbus convection). This phenomenon may lead to oxygen deprivation or loss of control of the paraglider, posing significant safety risks.
“Brother Six” being accidentally sucked into the high altitude of 8598 meters by the clouds reached the stratospheric level height of commercial aircraft flights, potentially posing a safety threat to civil aviation. The report stated that this was an accident, and he did not intentionally challenge any world records.
Source: New Tang Dynasty TV.