Ambulance crews and local police were first on the scene, along with JD Editor Dave Bull, last Saturday when a paraglider crashed into the cliffs at Gran Alacant injuring his legs and leaving him stuck on the side of a ravine with no way for medics to reach him.
The paraglider, who was at least two hundred metres from the road but in very tough terrain, was conscious throughout the ordeal which involved calling out the Fire Brigade helicopter from its base at Mutxamiel in Alicante.
Having seen their colleague crash land amongst the rocks and boulders that pepper the sierra at Gran Alacant, his colleagues managed to reach him and found him in a great deal of pain but surprisingly not too badly injured considering the way he had come down. Within ten minutes the rotors of the chopper could be heard and soon enough we saw it rise from below the cliffs and circle us once before the medic was lowered down to the injured man. Very quickly they rose again, with the paraglider strapped firmly to the line, and winched him inside for the short hop to where an ambulance crew awaited.
All in all the whole thing from the accident occurring to his safe arrival in the ambulance was less than twenty minutes, these guys are a credit to us and a pleasure to watch at work, it must be said.
The paraglider is said to be recovering from cuts, bruises and shock.
The paraglider, who was at least two hundred metres from the road but in very tough terrain, was conscious throughout the ordeal which involved calling out the Fire Brigade helicopter from its base at Mutxamiel in Alicante.
Having seen their colleague crash land amongst the rocks and boulders that pepper the sierra at Gran Alacant, his colleagues managed to reach him and found him in a great deal of pain but surprisingly not too badly injured considering the way he had come down. Within ten minutes the rotors of the chopper could be heard and soon enough we saw it rise from below the cliffs and circle us once before the medic was lowered down to the injured man. Very quickly they rose again, with the paraglider strapped firmly to the line, and winched him inside for the short hop to where an ambulance crew awaited.
All in all the whole thing from the accident occurring to his safe arrival in the ambulance was less than twenty minutes, these guys are a credit to us and a pleasure to watch at work, it must be said.
The paraglider is said to be recovering from cuts, bruises and shock.
I had thought about doing a tandem flight but now I'm not so sure!
ReplyDelete