Last Updated on September 23, 2018 by CCAR Staff
A paraglider caught in a gust of wind just after she launched from a ridgeline in the San Gabriel Mountains crashed into a hillside near Lytle Creek and was hoist-rescued by a San Bernardino County Sheriff’s helicopter, deputies said Sunday.
The paraglider, a Seattle woman, had extensive injuries but was able to dial 911 on Saturday after the 5:20 p.m. crash, a news release said. The gust caused one side of her paraglider to collapse, she lost control, and went into a hillside not far from where she launched, the release said.
The victim was able to give deputies her global positioning system location from her cell phone, and airborne deputies found her quickly. Because of her injuries and the remote location, Sheriff’s helicopter Air Rescue 6 was used for a hoist rescue, with the crew lowering a rescue medic 165 feet to the ground to give her first aid before she, followed by the medic, were lifted into the helicopter for transport to trauma center.
This story was updated to remove the name and age of the accident victim. Her name and age were initially included in a sheriff’s news release, but were later removed from the release.
