Two paragliders seriously injured in separate crashes

Two people suffered serious injuries in separate paragliding accidents in Tyrol on Friday, ORF reported. A 40-year-old Austrian hit a wall head-first while landing in Wörgl, while a 45-year-old German sustained a serious back injury during an emergency landing in Obertilliach.

The 45-year-old had to make an emergency landing in a meadow in Obertilliach because of thermal turbulence. His paraglider suddenly collapsed at a height of about 10 metres, causing him to fall to the ground. A rescue helicopter crew flew him to hospital in Lienz.

In Wörgl, police said the Austrian pilot misjudged his approach over the landing site and reached the ground at excessive speed. He hit his head against a wall and was taken to hospital in Kufstein with serious injuries.