4 days ago
Paraglider, 29, dies in horror 1,600ft plunge after powerful gust of wind slammed her into cliff in Alps
The gruelling recovery operation took place amid a high risk of falling rocks
MOUNTAIN TRAGEDY Paraglider, 29, dies in horror 1,600ft plunge after powerful gust of wind slammed her into cliff in Alps
A DAREDEVIL paraglider has died after she was blown away by powerful winds which sent her crashing into a cliff.
Isabel Kofler, 29, plunged 1,600ft to her death after she leapt from Ortler mountain in the Italian Alps - while her pals watched in horror.
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Isabel Kofler, 29, died while paragliding
Credit: Newsflash
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She was reportedly blown away by a 'freak' gust of wind
Credit: Newsflash
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She was paragliding in the Alps when she died
Credit: Newsflash
Isabel had reached the summit at dawn on August 8 with three friends and the group planned to paraglide down to the valley.
She reportedly made the first jump, before immediately losing altitude and plummeting down the mountain.
The hiker was blown away by a "freak" gust of wind which caused her to slam into the snow-covered rocks.
She then tumbled around 1,600ft down the cliff face while her friends watched helplessly.
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A mountain guide who witnessed the horror accident immediately alerted authorities.
Rescue services scrambled to the scene, including the Sulden Alpine Rescue team, the Pelikan 1 air rescue helicopter, and the Guardia di Finanza's Alpine unit.
Paramedics and mountain rescuers were lowered to the scene by winch.
But when they arrived she was pronounced dead following the violent impact caused by the sudden gust of wind.
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The dangerous recovery operation lasted about two hours.
Rescue workers had to complete to operation amid a high risk of falling rocks.
Tragedy at Niteroi: Paragliding Crash Leaves Three-Year-Old Orphaned
Authorities have launched a probe to determine the exact circumstances of the harrowing ordeal.
Isabel was a member of the Arcobaleno Fly club and a certified paraglider.
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She was well known in her community and active in local sports.
It comes after a three-year-old was left orphaned after a paraglider carrying her parents crashed during a tandem flight.
Paragliding and scuba instructor Luan Calor Cannelas Gomes da Silva, 29, and his ex-partner Vanessa do Nascimento Alves, died after the tragic accident in Brazil.
The pair were paragliding in Niteroi City Park, which overlooks Guanabara Bay in the Atlantic Ocean, on August 8.
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The former couple were separated but had a three-year-old daughter together.
And last month, Felix Baumgartner's grieving partner shared footage of the daredevil's doomed final paragliding flight.
The Austrian athlete, 56, most famous for jumping to Earth from the edge of space, tragically lost his life in an accident while on holiday in Italy in July.
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She was blown into a cliff face by a strong gust of wind
Credit: Newsflash
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She was with three other friends at the time
Credit: Newsflash
