Paragliding team (15, 35) rescued unharmed from tree in Salzburg – Fireworld.at
SALZBURG-CITY: A 15-year-old American citizen or her parents book a paragliding tandem flight from the Gaisberg in the city of Salzburg. On January 1, 2023 around noon, the 35-year-old German tandem pilot met her minor passenger at the take-off site in the area of the Gaisbergspitze and instructed them on all procedures during the flight.
Shortly after 12:00 p.m., the pilot took off with her paraglider and her passenger from the “West” take-off site and intended to land at the landing site in Guggenthal. During the course of the investigation, the paraglider pilot stated that the conditions at the take-off site were good and there was a slight wind coming from the front. She took off with her passenger without any problems and flew towards the landing field. In the Gersbergalm area, she noticed that the wind had shifted slightly and she had quickly lost height with her paraglider.
The paraglider pilot wanted to turn the paraglider and fly away from the mountain. However, due to the altitude, this was no longer possible and she had to make an emergency landing in a tree with her paraglider. An eyewitness to the emergency landing immediately called emergency services. The paraglider pilot and her passenger were subsequently rescued from the tree by the Salzburg professional fire brigade using a turntable ladder and were given first aid by a Red Cross crew present. Both women were not injured by this emergency landing.
The pilot is in possession of a valid paraglider tandem license and the paraglider is approved for tandem flights. 6 police officers, 1 alpine policeman, 13 men from the professional fire brigade and a crew from the RK were involved in the operation.