Latest news with #frostbite
News.com.au
28-05-2025
- General
- News.com.au
Paraglider survived being sucked 8.5km into the sky in rare ‘cloud suction'
A shocking video shows the terrifying moment a paraglider was sucked 8.5km into the sky and endured bone-chilling conditions among the clouds. He reportedly became trapped in a rare 'cloud suction' that pulled him more than 8.5km into the air during a flight over China. The paraglider, who miraculously survived the ordeal on Saturday, caught the nerve-shredding moments on camera. His jaw-dropping footage has now gone viral on social media. He took off for his flight from an altitude of around 3,000 metres over the Qilian Mountains according to local media reports. But the paraglider quickly malfunctioned and became uncontrollable, as he was dragged up thousands on feet into the clouds. He was sucked to the sort of heights at which passenger aeroplanes might cruise. The footage lays bare the icy conditions he had to endure, suffering from extensive frostbite at the terrifying altitude. He can be seen clinging onto his parachute for dear life in the frightening conditions. Visibility is initially poor at the start of the clip as the paraglider is sucked to high altitudes over the mountains. But at the peak of the trip, he can be seen dangling over the clouds – visibly freezing cold and covered in frost. He was not wearing an oxygen mask, fully exposing him to the hostile elements. However, the man miraculously remained conscious throughout the ordeal and successfully brought his parachute to a safe landing. He later recalled experiencing hypoxia and having his hands exposed to the blistering cold above the clouds, local media reported. 'I just kept communicating over the radio the entire time,' he said. An experienced paraglider, surnamed Ou, told local media that few people would survive being pulled to such high altitudes. 'This is truly miraculous,' Ou said. 'His mental resilience was extraordinary.' Ou added that paragliders will typically come prepared for such flights with cold weather gear, as it would already be extremely cold at the takeoff altitude. But at 8,000 metres, temperatures can drop to as low as -40, and oxygen supplies would be critically low, Jiupai News reported. The incident is now being investigated by regulatory authorities. A source told Jiupai News that he had failed to file the necessary flight plan – including getting airspace clearance for the launch site. Chinese national aviation sports regulations state that aerial activities need prior airspace approval from air traffic control. Paragliding activities have to be carried out according to a prearranged plan, and trips are prohibited under adverse weather conditions. Changing flight plans without authorisation is also not allowed. Penalties for those found in breach of the rules range from warning and fines to criminal charges, local media reports.
Daily Mail
27-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Terrifying moment vortex drags frozen paraglider into the sky and suspends him more than 28,000ft in the air in -40C conditions
A frozen paraglider was left suspended over 28,000ft in the air in -40C conditions after a vortex dragged him into the sky. Terrifying footage captured the man becoming trapped in a rare 'cloud suction' during a flight over China on Saturday. The paraglider, who miraculously survived the chilling ordeal, managed to catch a clip moment of the incident on camera which has now made its rounds on social media. The unnamed man took off for his flight from an altitude of around 9,800ft over the Qilian Mountains, according to local media reports. But in a horror twist, the paraglider quickly lost control of his equipment and was yanked thousands of feet into the icy air - almost the height at which passenger aeroplanes may cruise. The frightening footage reveals the severity of the conditions the paraglider had to endure. He was left with extensive frostbite following the ordeal. In the clip, the man can be seen clinging onto his parachute as he soars through the air. Visibility is poor as he is rapidly sucked to high altitudes over the snow-topped mountains. Terrifying footage captured the paraglider becoming trapped in a rare 'cloud suction' during a flight over China on Saturday But at one point, the paraglider can be seen dangling above the clouds - visibly frozen with his hair, beard, and protective gear covered in frost. He was not wearing an oxygen mask which left him fully exposed to the dangerous elements. However, the man miraculously remained conscious throughout the ordeal and managed to successfully land his parachute safely. Following the incident, he recalled experiencing hypoxia and having his hands exposed to the freezing cold temperatures above the clouds, according to local reports. 'I just kept communicating over the radio the entire time,' he said. An experienced paraglider, surnamed Ou, told local media that very few people could have survived being dragged into such high altitudes. 'This is truly miraculous,' Ou said. 'His mental resilience was extraordinary.' Ou added that paragliders will typically come prepared for such flights with cold weather gear, as it would already be extremely cold at the take-off altitude. But at 8,000 metres, temperatures can drop to as low as -40C, and oxygen supplies would be critically low, Jiupai News reported. The incident is now being investigated by local authorities. A source told Jiupai News that he had failed to file the necessary flight plan - including getting airspace clearance for the launch site. Chinese national aviation sports regulations state that aerial activities need prior airspace approval from air traffic control. Paragliding activities have to be carried out according to a pre-arranged plan, and trips are prohibited under adverse weather conditions. Changing flight plans without authorisation is also not allowed. Penalties for those found in breach of the rules range from warning and fines to criminal charges, local media reports.
The Sun
27-05-2025
- General
- The Sun
Shock vid shows half-frozen paraglider who was sucked 5 MILES into sky by vortex & left shivering in -40C conditions
A SHOCKING video shows the terrifying moment a paraglider was sucked five miles into the sky and endured bone-chilling conditions among the clouds. He reportedly became trapped in a rare "cloud suction" that pulled him more than 28,000ft into the air during a flight over China . 4 4 4 The paraglider, who miraculously survived the ordeal on Saturday, caught the nerve-shredding moments on camera. His jaw-dropping footage has now gone viral on social media. He took off for his flight from an altitude of around 3,000 metres (9,842.52ft) over the Qilian Mountains according to local media reports. But the paraglider quickly malfunctioned and became uncontrollable, dragging up thousands feet more up into the clouds. He was sucked to the sort of heights at which passenger aeroplanes might cruise. The footage lays bare the icy conditions he had to endure, suffering from extensive frostbite at the terrifying altitude. He can be seen clinging onto his parachute for dear life in the frightening conditions. Visibility is initially poor at the start of the clip as the paraglider is sucked to high altitudes over the mountains. But at the peak of the trip, he can be seen dangling over the clouds - visibly freezing cold and covered in frost. He was not wearing an oxygen mask, fully exposing him to the hostile elements. Inside dystopian Chinese megacity of 32 million where workers 'don't see sunlight' & Big Brother is always watching However, the man miraculously remained conscious throughout the ordeal and successfully brought his parachute to a safe landing. He would later recall experiencing hypoxia and having his hands exposed to the blistering cold above the clouds, local media has reported. "I just kept communicating over the radio the entire time," he said. An experienced paraglider surnamed Ou told local media that few people would survive being pulled to such high altitudes. "This is truly miraculous," Ou said. "His mental resilience was extraordinary." Ou added that paragliders will typically come prepared for such flights with cold weather gear, as it would already be extremely cold at the take-off altitude. But at 8,000 metres, temperatures can drop to as low as -40, and oxygen supplies would be critically low, Jiupai News has reported. Why is China now investigating him? THE paraglider may have miraculously survived the terrifying ordeal, but he now faces an investigation from the authorities. It is understood that he holds a valid paragliding licence, but Jiupai News reports that failed to file the requisite flight plan for this trip. The local aviation sports regulations say that such activities need approval from air traffic controllers - and that paragliders cannot alter their planned routes without authorisation. Paragliding activities are also prohibited under adverse weather conditions. Anyone found to have breached the rules faces sanctions that can range from warning and fines to criminal charges. The incident is now being investigated by regulatory authorities. A source told Jiupai News that he had failed to file the necessary flight plan - including getting airspace clearance for the launch site. Chinese national aviation sports regulations state that aerial activities need prior airspace approval from air traffic control. Paragliding activities have to be carried out according to a pre-arranged plan, and trips are prohibited under adverse weather conditions. Changing flight plans without authorisation is also not allowed. Penalties for those found in breach of the rules range from warning and fines to criminal charges, local media reports.
CBS News
15-05-2025
- CBS News
Aldermen to weigh $5 million settlement for woman who lost legs to frostbite after police ignored pleas for help
City attorneys are recommending the Chicago City Council approve a $5 million settlement with a woman who had both legs amputated after she got locked out of her home in February 2021, and couldn't get help for hours despite calls to 911 and 311. The City Council Finance Committee will vote Monday on the settlement with Briana Keys, who spent three hours outside in the extreme cold before she was able to get to a police station to get help, according to her lawsuit. Keys was accidentally locked out of her home around 2 a.m. on Feb. 8, 2021, when the temperature was around 5 degrees and there was snow on the ground, and she was not wearing proper clothing for the extreme cold. Her lawsuit claims she called 911 and 311, but "was not provided assistance." She tried to get help from someone at a home a few blocks away, and that person also called 911, but Keys had already started walking to a police station a mile away, and when officers responding to the call later came across Keys, they wouldn't take her somewhere safe, despite knowing she was at risk of injury from the extreme cold. According to an online fundraiser set up by her family, the officers told Keys she could not get in their patrol car. Around 5 a.m., she walked into the police station at 51st and Wentworth, and was already suffering frostbite but police did not immediately get her help, according to the lawsuit. As a result of the hours she'd already spent outside without proper clothing, and the delay in getting medical attention, she had both legs amputated below the knees due to severe frostbite. If the $5 million settlement with Keys is approved by the Finance Committee, the full City Council could vote on May 21.
