Paraglider flown to hospital after crash at Point of the Mountain
May 13, 2019, 11:58 AM
Photo: Mary Richards, KSL Newsradio
LEHI, Utah — A paraglider crashed into the hillside at Point of the Mountain Flight State Park Monday morning and had to be flown to the hospital.
On the scene of a paraglider crash at Point of the Mountain. The wind pushed him back into the hillside and he has traumatic injuries. pic.twitter.com/0XPPbxF2Mh
— Mary Richards (@kslmrichards) May 13, 2019
Witnesses said the south winds were quite strong and pushed the paraglider back into the mountain as he was making a rightward slant.
Lifeflight took the patient to the hospital in Provo. photo cred @lehifiredept pic.twitter.com/waK7W9Wbvm
— Mary Richards (@kslmrichards) May 13, 2019
Lehi Fire Department responded to the scene and called for a medical helicopter because of the nature of the injuries and needing to get the victim to the hospital quickly.
“We had a medic here from Switzerland who was here helping when we got here, which was really convenient,” said Lehi Fire Captain Bronson Smith.
Smith says the patient had significant back and leg injuries, though he had been wearing a helmet and was conscious, breathing and alert when they stabilized him on the scene.
He said they had a lot of help from the other fliers and the coaches.
“Whenever we have an injury up here, as far as getting everyone grounded again so we don’t have another injury, or so that the helicopter can land, or they don’t run into us,” he said.
After Lifeflight took off to take the patient to the hospital in Provo, it wasn’t long before the hang gliders and paragliders were back in the air. However, one man told KSL he wasn’t flying, because he thought it was too windy.
