A PARAGLIDER who had a brush with death after being accidentally dragged up to 8,500m by a rare air current has been told he’s banned from the skies for the ‘unauthorised flight’.
Terrified Peng Yujiang was testing his latest equipment – which has a maximum ceiling of 3,000m – when a freak updraft known as a ‘cloud suck’ suddenly dragged him 5,000m above his safety zone.
The 55-year-old lost briefly consciousness as ice crystals formed around his face and body.
Remarkably, the incident was recorded by the daredevil’s flight camera as he soared to 27,800ft – almost the height of Mount Everest.
Peng explained he had no intention of flying on the day, and was merely testing equipment on the ground when the wind swept him up into the air before he was taken by the ‘cloud suck’ and found himself drifting in and out of consciousness as the paraglider span out of control.
“It was terrifying. Everything was white. I couldn’t see any direction,” he said, before being told by Chinese authorities that he was under investigation.
“Without the compass, I wouldn’t have known which way I was going. I thought I was flying straight, but in reality, I was spinning.
“I wanted to come down quickly, but I just couldn’t. I was lifted higher and higher until I was inside the cloud.”
The freak meteorological event eventually spat Peng and his paraglider out for a descent as he was moments away from being starved of oxygen in temperatures around -30C.
After almost five years involved in the sport, Peng added he was now too afraid to fly again.
Although, the Chinese government may also have a say in his future flying career, as he was hit with an immediate ban for an ‘unauthorised flight’, with the expectation that it will become a lifetime ban.
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