PArAGLiDiNG An extreme sport with...
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.4.015 – 15.4.015 ISLAND CONNECTIONS 743 3 CANARY ISLANDS A Frenchman was killed in mid- March in a paragliding accident in Tenerife. The 42-year-old lost control of his glider at Chasna and crashed into the Barranco de Jama, which forms the border between the municipali- ties of Arona, San Miguel and Vila- flor. The emergency services imme- diately dispatched a helicopter and alerted police and mountain rescue teams. A crew member was roped down from the emergency helicop- ter to the victim, but unfortunately he had already died due to the severe injuries he suffered. The helicopter crew retrieved his body, and flew it to the Tenerife South Airport where the Guardia Civil took charge. With this accident, there have now been 15 paragliding accidents so far this year, and two of these were fatal. Most of these accidents occurred in Tenerife and Lanzarote, while there were two in La Palma. It is clear that paragliding is one of the most danger- ous extreme sports. Tourists can be a bit lackadaisical in assessing the difficulty level of a jump, probably because they’re in a holiday mood. Local people experienced in this sport have repeatedly pointed out the high accident rate involving foreigners in the past. Foreign tourists who like to paraglide during their holidays are mainly from Germany, the UK and Finland, and often the flights would be paid for and organised in advance as part of their holiday packages. Some paragliders occasionally vibrate in the air when the weather condi- tions are less than optimal. The geo- logical conditions, such as the deep and abrupt ravines, especially in the south of Tenerife, are often underesti- mated, and the flyer’s assessment of the updraft from them is often inad- equate. Not all those who book the flight know enough about the sport, or assessing weather and other condi- tions, and for some of them it’s only a hobby which they practice from time to time. For beginners, the rugged terrain in the Canaries is particularly difficult to assess, and there are often miscalculations regarding rock walls and other natural barriers. The balance of about one accident every five days – a figure which has been confirmed by the emergency services - is simply too much. The local paragliding organisations and rescue services are now calling on those who paraglide to take special care, especially those with little or no experience. They should consider whether they are really up to the chal- lenge before they take that jump. If you’re in any doubt, a tandem jump is a great alternative, during which you can enjoy a safe flight in the Canaries with an experienced flyer. n PARAGLIDING An extreme sport with risks Tenerife seen from the air is undoubtedly an upliſting experience - but flyers shouldn’t be careless with their own safety.
Transcript of PArAGLiDiNG An extreme sport with...
�.4.�015 – 15.4.�015 ISLAND CONNECTIONS 743 3CANARY ISLANDS
A Frenchman was killed in mid-March in a paragliding accident in Tenerife. The 42-year-old lost control of his glider at chasna and crashed into the Barranco de jama, which forms the border between the municipali-ties of Arona, san miguel and vila-flor. The emergency services imme-diately dispatched a helicopter and alerted police and mountain rescue teams. A crew member was roped down from the emergency helicop-ter to the victim, but unfortunately he had already died due to the severe injuries he suffered. The helicopter crew retrieved his body, and flew it to the Tenerife south Airport where the Guardia civil took charge.with this accident, there have now been 15 paragliding accidents so far this year, and two of these were fatal. most of these accidents occurred in Tenerife and Lanzarote, while there were two in La Palma. it is clear that paragliding is one of the most danger-ous extreme sports. Tourists can be a bit lackadaisical in assessing the difficulty level of a jump, probably because they’re in a holiday mood.
Local people experienced in this sport have repeatedly pointed out the high accident rate involving foreigners in the past. Foreign tourists who like to
paraglide during their holidays are mainly from Germany, the UK and Finland, and often the flights would be paid for and organised in advance
as part of their holiday packages. some paragliders occasionally vibrate in the air when the weather condi-tions are less than optimal. The geo-
logical conditions, such as the deep and abrupt ravines, especially in the south of Tenerife, are often underesti-mated, and the flyer’s assessment of the updraft from them is often inad-equate. Not all those who book the flight know enough about the sport, or assessing weather and other condi-tions, and for some of them it’s only a hobby which they practice from time to time. For beginners, the rugged terrain in the canaries is particularly difficult to assess, and there are often miscalculations regarding rock walls and other natural barriers.The balance of about one accident every five days – a figure which has been confirmed by the emergency services - is simply too much. The local paragliding organisations and rescue services are now calling on those who paraglide to take special care, especially those with little or no experience. They should consider whether they are really up to the chal-lenge before they take that jump. if you’re in any doubt, a tandem jump is a great alternative, during which you can enjoy a safe flight in the canaries with an experienced flyer. n
PArAGLiDiNG
An extreme sport with risks
Tenerife seen from the air is undoubtedly an uplifting experience - but flyers shouldn’t be careless with their own safety.
