A 55-year-old man in China faced life-threatening conditions after being involuntarily lifted to a staggering altitude while testing new parachute gear.
Chinese Paraglider's Terrifying 8,500m Cloud Experience
Chinese Paraglider's Terrifying 8,500m Cloud Experience
A paraglider's unexpected rise into the clouds unfolds dramatic survival tale
A Chinese paraglider has narrowly escaped a harrowing experience after being unexpectedly lifted to an altitude of 8,500m (27,800ft) above north-west China, according to state media reports. The incident involved Peng Yujiang, a 55-year-old paraglider, who was initially preparing to test new gear at a more manageable height of 3,000m over the Qilian mountains. However, he was caught in a rare air current known as a "cloud suck," propelling him an additional 5,000m into a cloud formation.
The extraordinary event was captured on camera attached to his glider and quickly gained traction online after being shared on Douyin, China’s social media equivalent of TikTok. In the video, Mr. Peng can be seen grappling with the controls of his glider, his body and face coated in ice crystals due to the extreme cold at high altitudes. He recounted the terrifying experience: "It was terrifying... Everything was white. I couldn't see any direction. Without the compass, I wouldn't have known which way I was going. I thought I was flying straight, but in reality, I was spinning," he remarked in an interview with China Media Group.
Survival at such elevation is daunting as oxygen levels become dangerously low, and the temperature can plunge to as low as -40°C. Mr. Peng described his desperate attempts to descend, stating, "I wanted to come down quickly, but I just couldn't. I was lifted higher and higher until I was inside the cloud." Having paraglided for four-and-a-half years, Mr. Peng revealed that he may have lost consciousness during his harrowing descent, expressing that regaining control of his glider in a spin was the most alarming aspect of his ordeal.
In the aftermath of this unexpected flight, Chinese authorities have launched an investigation into the incident. Reports indicate that Mr. Peng has been suspended from paragliding for six months due to the unauthorized nature of his flight, as he had planned only to fit and test his parachute equipment on the ground that day. Yet, strong winds unexpectedly lifted him aloft, catching him off-guard and propelling him into the clouds.
The extraordinary event was captured on camera attached to his glider and quickly gained traction online after being shared on Douyin, China’s social media equivalent of TikTok. In the video, Mr. Peng can be seen grappling with the controls of his glider, his body and face coated in ice crystals due to the extreme cold at high altitudes. He recounted the terrifying experience: "It was terrifying... Everything was white. I couldn't see any direction. Without the compass, I wouldn't have known which way I was going. I thought I was flying straight, but in reality, I was spinning," he remarked in an interview with China Media Group.
Survival at such elevation is daunting as oxygen levels become dangerously low, and the temperature can plunge to as low as -40°C. Mr. Peng described his desperate attempts to descend, stating, "I wanted to come down quickly, but I just couldn't. I was lifted higher and higher until I was inside the cloud." Having paraglided for four-and-a-half years, Mr. Peng revealed that he may have lost consciousness during his harrowing descent, expressing that regaining control of his glider in a spin was the most alarming aspect of his ordeal.
In the aftermath of this unexpected flight, Chinese authorities have launched an investigation into the incident. Reports indicate that Mr. Peng has been suspended from paragliding for six months due to the unauthorized nature of his flight, as he had planned only to fit and test his parachute equipment on the ground that day. Yet, strong winds unexpectedly lifted him aloft, catching him off-guard and propelling him into the clouds.
