Incident Details

Cellphone video captured a powered paraglider plunging approximately 500 feet into the waters off Riviera Beach near Singer Island. The pilot had taken off from Ocean Cay Park in Jupiter and was traveling south when he lost control after hitting a sudden wind gust. A lifeguard noticed the paraglider going in an unusual pattern and realized something was wrong. She and her partner grabbed rescue equipment and paddled out. The pilot crashed into the ocean and became entangled in paragliding lines. A nearby snorkeler played a crucial role by swimming underwater to free the man from the tangled lines while lifeguards secured him in a rescue tube. The pilot was brought safely back to shore.

The pilot was climbing with high power at a steep 30-40° back angle when the engine suddenly failed (motor sound reduced significantly). The sudden loss of thrust caused an aggressive pitch forward to approximately 80°, which triggered a collapse. The wing briefly reinflated but then pitched forward again and collapsed a second time. The paraglider then transitioned into a spiral dive while partially collapsed, ultimately crashing into the ocean from approximately 500 feet altitude. The low altitude did not provide sufficient time for recovery.

Only cuts and scrapes

52-year-old man from Pompano Beach

Cellphone video shows the terrifying moment a powered paraglider plunged roughly 500 feet into the waters off Riviera Beach, prompting a dramatic rescue by lifeguards, beachgoers and a nearby snorkeler.The incident happened on Friday, Jan. 9, near Singer Island, about 80 miles north of Miami.According to the Riviera Beach Police Department, the 52-year-old man from Pompano Beach made an unplanned "splash landing" just before noon after his powered paraglider dropped out of the sky and crashed into the ocean.A lifeguard with Palm Beach County Ocean Rescue said the man appeared to lose control after hitting a sudden wind gust."I noticed the paraglider kind of going in an interesting pattern," lifeguard Sarah Williamson told WPTV.Realizing something was wrong, Williamson and her partner rushed toward the water to help."I just started running and I radioed to my partner, grabbed our rescue board and rescue tube, and paddled out in tandem," Williamson said. A nearby snorkeler also played a key role in the rescue, swimming underwater to free the man from tangled paragliding lines."He was a godsend because we did not have a mask, and he was able to get underwater and free the man while we secured him in a rescue tube," Williamson said.Police said the paraglider had lifted off earlier from Ocean Cay Park in Jupiter and was traveling south when the crash occurred.Despite the fall, officials said the man was brought safely back to shore and suffered only cuts and scrapes. He was wearing a helmet at the time. Williamson said the paraglider appeared to be full of adrenaline and in shock following the ordeal. His name has not been released.