A seasoned paraglider miraculously survived a rare and dangerous phenomenon that saw him being sucked up by clouds to an altitude of 28,210 feet (8,600 meters).
Photos and videos of Chinese paraglider Liu Ge trying to keep his cool (pun intended) as he experienced dangerously low levels of oxygen and temperatures as low as -40 degrees Celsius (-40° Fahrenheit) went viral on social media this week. In them, the experienced paraglider’s clothes and face are covered with ice, and he struggles to breathe and keep from passing out because of the low oxygen. On May 24th, Liu Ge took off from about 3,000 meters in the Qilian Mountains, on the border between western Gansu and northeastern Qinghai, but as he was paragliding, a cumulonimbus cloud appeared behind him and he ended up being lifted higher and higher, above the clouds.
‘Cloud suck’ is a well-documented phenomenon where paragliders and hang gliders experience a significant lift caused by the thermals under cumulus clouds, especially towering cumulus and cumulonimbus. It is typically associated with an increase in thermal updraft velocity near cloud base. Pilots who have experienced the phenomenon have reported being unable to descend in strong cloud suck, even after bringing the canopies of their gliders into deep spiral, which would normally result in a rapid descent.
Because he didn’t plan on going up to extreme altitudes – Chinese regulations restrict flights to below 16,405 feet (5,000 meters) – Liu Ge didn’t have an oxygen mask or thick clothing to help him endure the freezing temperatures and low oxygen concentration. Still, he remained in contact with friends on the ground via intercom and was eventually able to descend.
“I felt oxygen deficiency and my hands were freezing, but I kept communicating via the intercom,” Liu said on social media.
The Chinese paraglider’s extreme experience spread like wildfire on social media, but his overnight celebrity could spell trouble, as he reportedly did not report the flight on the day of the incident, including the take-off site, as required, which prompted authorities to open an official investigation.
Although many were talking about his flight being a record-breaking one for paragliding, Liu Ge pleaded with social media users to stop making a big deal out of it. He probably fears that his feat could have serious legal repercussions.
0 Comments