A paraglider in China who had intended to simply test some equipment instead ended up unwittingly reaching barely survivable heights last week.
The episode was captured on a camera attached to his equipment and showed the harrowing conditions he experienced.
Mr. Peng rose to a level almost on par with Mount Everest’s summit and aviation flight paths.
He could not control the glider or land as the draft grew stronger and he was pulled up above the clouds.
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In China, a paraglider last week accidentally reached barely livable heights while attempting to test some equipment.
According to state media, Peng Yujiang, a 55-year-old paraglider from Gansu province, flew in the Qilian mountain range of Qinghai and Gansu provinces in northwest China on Saturday morning, climbing nearly 8,600 meters above sea level, or more than 28,200 feet, or roughly 5:3 miles.
A camera mounted on his equipment recorded the incident, which revealed the terrifying circumstances he encountered. Mr. Peng reached a height that was nearly equal to the summit of Mount Everest and the flight paths of airplanes. In the video, which was first shared on social media before being picked up by Chinese state media, his face and body are covered in ice and snow.
At an elevation of 3,000 meters above sea level, or roughly 10,000 feet, Mr. Peng was testing equipment as part of “ground handling training,” which paragliders say is essential to managing safe launches, according to local news media. However, a powerful wind abruptly raised him into the air. As the draft intensified and he was drawn above the clouds, he lost control of the glider and was unable to land.
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