Dutch paraglider crashes into high-voltage line in Austria

A Dutch paraglider collided with a high-voltage power line while landing on Wednesday in the Austrian state of Carinthia. The 56-year-old man then fell five meters, according to Austrian police.

Following the incident, the Dutch man was still able to pack up his paraglider himself, but later developed neck and spinal pain. He was airlifted by helicopter after receiving first aid to a hospital in Lienz in Tyrol. The extent of his injuries remains unclear.

Police are investigating the circumstances of the accident. According to authorities, the Dutch paraglider lost altitude for reasons that are still unclear before hitting the power line. After hitting the high-voltage cable, the paraglider lost control, sending the man into an uncontrolled five-metre fall.

The 56-year-old took off around 11 a.m. from Emberger Alm, a very well-known and popular launch site for paragliders in the region, according to AD. The accident occurred about 25 minutes later, around 11:25, during the landing procedure in the municipality of Greifenburg, a municipality in the district of Spittal an der Drau.

Bystanders and witnesses were the first to provide medical assistance at the crash site, after which a rescue helicopter flew the man to a hospital in Lienz.

A similar incident occured in the same area in 2022, which, coincidentally, also involved a Dutch man aged 56. Unlike the recent case, this man struck the power line with such force that he sustained severe burns from an electric shock. He was airlifted in critical condition to the intensive care unit at the university hospital in Graz.