Parag leader accident on the Gerlitzen: Swiss falls from 25 meters!

Parag leader accident on the Gerlitzen: Swiss falls from 25 meters!

Gerlitzen, Österreich - On June 21, 2025, a tragic accident at the popular parag lead in Gerlitzen occurred at 10:00 a.m. A 28-year-old Swiss fell into a steeply sloping forest when climbing with his paraglimger from a height of around 25 meters. According to click Carinthia, the departure took place at the official departure. Shortly after the start, the umbrella got in turbulence and partially worked, which led to the unfortunate fall. The pilot landed in rough terrain and contracted serious injuries.

The rescue measures were initiated quickly. The team of the rescue helicopter RK 1 brought the accident to the LKH Villach for medical care.

another tragic incident

Gailtal Journal .

The vacationer crashed into a tree stump with his head and lost his helmet. A friend who observed the accident from the starting place immediately hurried to help and started trying to resuscitate. Unfortunately, the emergency doctor of the rescue helicopter C7 was only able to determine the death of the pilot.

accident statistics and prevention measures

The possibilities of reducing accidents in paraglim and hanging slides in Austria are an important topic. According to a scientific analysis that looked at the development of the accident from 1993 to 2001, the number of paragliders and deaths rose dramatically. In 2001 there were a total of 125 accidents among paragliders, with 9 people fatal. This shows that, despite the increasing popularity of flight sports, extensive security measures and targeted training are necessary to minimize the risks, as documented on alpine security.

causes of the accident are often due to the weather and result from start or landing errors. In order to reduce accidents, increased information about weather conditions and improved training are recommended. These strategies are crucial to increase the safety of paragliders and to further reduce the number of incidents.