The last weekend of this year's summer brought beautiful weather, perfect for flying. None the less, there were two accidents in different parts of the country concerning paragliders.
The first accident occurred on Friday afternoon in Budapest, on the Hármashatár Hegy. After receiving an alert via SMS, two rescuers specialised in tree climbing were dispatched following a short briefing. The paraglider pilot was able to provide his exact location, making it easy to locate him.
Upon arrival, they found a man stuck in the branches of a tree, approximately 9 meters above the ground. His position was stable, and he was not injured in the landing. The canopy of his paraglider was caught in the crowns of three trees.
After making personal contact, the rescuers climbed up to the pilot and secured a harness on him. They set up the necessary and anchors and hauling systems for extraction and descent, and attached rope to the pilot's harness.
After that the pilot was lifted up to release the paraglider’s lines and safety equipment, and after securing him to a separate rope, the rescuers lowered him safely to the ground.
Two hours after the alert, the pilot was safely on the ground.
The second incident occurred on Monday afternoon in Tardos, in the County of Komárom-Esztergom. The alert was received at 13:35, and shortly after the nearby tree climbing rescue specialist set off with required rescue equipment, coordinating with those on the scene.
The rescuers arrived at 14:05, by which time the pilot had already detached the paraglider lines and was holding onto the tree. The specialists climbed above him and set up an anchor point, they managed to lower him to safety, reaching the ground at 14:22. After the specialists also retrieved the snagged canopy.
The pilot was safely on the ground within 48 minutes of the alert.
UPDATE: In the late afternoon of Thursday, September 5, 2024. there was also a paraglider accident near by Tardos, he was also stucked in the branches of a tree and he had also rescued safely.
The rescue group consists of arborists, cavers, and members of the Hungarian Cave Rescue Service, who are capable of tree rescues. The group was established in 2019 on an invitation-only basis. The experts in this group are trained in rescueing paragliders stranded in trees and carefully retrieving snagged canopies. The Hungarian Cave Rescue Service provides the alert system, but the rescue participants operate independently.
Photos: Attila Bódi, Szabolcs Győrffy, József Pintér.
