Paraglider collides with cyclist during training flight in Lienz

A 40-year-old Italian paraglider collided with a 45-year-old Czech cyclist during a training flight from Hochstein in Lienz on Friday morning, ORF reported.

The pilot launched at about 11.40 a.m. from a meadow at an altitude of around 1,220 metres. The cyclist was standing with her bicycle on a path a few metres below the launch area.

As the pilot ran to take off and lifted into the air, he struck the woman’s upper body for an unknown reason. Both fell to the ground.

The cyclist suffered injuries of undetermined severity. After receiving first aid, she was recovered by rope and flown by rescue helicopter to Klagenfurt State Hospital.

The pilot sustained minor injuries but did not require medical treatment.