31 March 2024 , 17:39
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A paraglider had a lucky escape when his parachute failed and he had to make an emergency landing.
The flyer took off in Derbyshire and landed on a soft and flexible roof structure in Sheffield, which acted as a cushion for his fall. Firefighters commented that the man had been "incredibly lucky", YorkshireLive reports.
The incident happened on Saturday at an industrial estate in Station Road, Ecclesfield. A fire service spokesman said: "Crews from Stocksbridge and Parkway fire stations worked alongside ambulance and police colleagues to rescue a man whose parachute had failed from the roof of a structure in Ecclesfield Industrial Estate.
"The man, in his 60s, had been taking part in a glide in Derbyshire when his chute malfunctioned forcing him to make an emergency landing. He landed on top of a large tent like structure which is used to store salt grit. The flexible nature of the structure meant the man suffered only minor injuries."
The paraglider landed on a roof in an industrial estate in Station Road, Eccleshill, Sheffield (Google street view)All three emergency services worked together to rescue the stricken paraglider, with firefighters ultimately bring him to safety. Fire station manager Gavin Jones said: "In 25 years firefighting I've never known of an incident like it.
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"This was a really effective, multi-agency response and our firefighters and Control operators did an incredible job. The man has been incredibly lucky and I'm just so pleased we were able to bring him to safety."
Last year, a British man died in a paragliding accident in Portugal. Emergency responders including firefighters launched a search after a 999 call from a local saying a paraglider had crashed to the ground near a beauty spot north of Lisbon.
The accident victim is said to have already gone into cardiac arrest when he was discovered in an area “of difficult access.” He was assisted by medical experts but died at the scene. The unnamed man suffered his accident in an area known as Vale Bom in the municipality of Cadaval.
It was near to the Montejunto Mountains, an hour north of Lisbon, a nature lover’s paradise speckled with windmills and sleepy villages which is also a well-known wine region. The alarm was raised just before 9pm, and it was not immediately clear if the British man lived in Portugal or was on holiday.