Chinese Paraglider's Narrow Escape From Cloud Vortex At 26,400 Feet
A Chinese paraglider narrowly escaped death after being sucked into a cloud vortex. He was pulled high into the sky and ended up stuck about 26,400 ft above the ground.
Describing the incident, Liu Ge said he was trapped in freezing temperatures of around -40 degrees Fahrenheit when he was flying above the Qilian Shan mountains in northern China on Saturday. He claimed he was pulled upward into the sky, known as cloud suction, shortly after he jumped off a mountain, which was about 9,850 ft above sea level, The NY Post reported.
NEW: Chinese paraglider nearly froze to de*th after being pulled 5 miles up into an icy cloud vortex
Liu Ge was paragliding over the Qilian Mountains in northern China when he lost control
"I felt oxygen deficiency and my hands were freezing... But I kept communicating via the… pic.twitter.com/EDczIhTxlh
— Unlimited L's (@unlimited_ls) May 27, 2025
Due to oxygen deficiency, Liu said he had trouble breathing and his hands were freezing cold. "I just kept communicating over the radio the entire time," he added.
Liu told that he didn't have an oxygen mask and his face and clothes were covered in ice. Reports said he was sucked to high altitudes and hung on tightly to his harness. He also claimed that due to the freezing temperatures, he got severe frostbite.
Liu further said he stayed conscious all the time and managed to land safely.
An experienced paraglider, surnamed Ou, told Global Times that not many can survive such high altitude. He said people bring cold-weather gear even when they go paragliding at about 6,500 ft high. So, at 28,000 ft, the temperature gets really cold, which makes it difficult to breathe.
According to the news outlet, authorities have launched an investigation because air traffic authorities hadn't approved his flight plan after he failed to file the necessary paperwork.
Chinese national aviation sports regulations state that even if a paraglider has a valid license, they are supposed to obtain prior airspace approval from air traffic control. Paragliding flights are banned above 16,405 ft under Chinese regulations.
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