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Paraglider Seriously Injured After Canopy Collapse at Staufen Cup in Austria

Rescuers airlifted the 50-year-old German pilot to hospital following a steep-terrain fall.

Overview

  • The crash occurred during the Staufen Cup, a regional paragliding competition, at the Hintere Niedere launch site in Andelsbuch, Vorarlberg.
  • The pilot’s canopy folded to one side shortly after takeoff, which caused a rapid loss of altitude.
  • An attempted reserve parachute deployment failed, leaving the pilot without a backup as he descended.
  • The man fell about 70 meters into steep terrain, where bystanders gave first aid and alerted emergency services.
  • A Gallus 1 helicopter crew and Bergrettung Bezau recovered the pilot and flew him to hospital, with no cause or medical update released.