A paraglider narrowly escaped death on Saturday in Austria after her canopy was struck and torn by a passing Cessna aircraft near Zell am See.
The incident unfolded while the 44-year-old woman was airborne at altitude when the small plane suddenly passed overhead, cutting through her paraglider and sending her into a rapid descent.
Even in the sudden fall, she managed to stay composed and successfully activated her emergency parachute.
This allowed her to control her descent and land safely despite the severe mid-air damage to her glider.
The dramatic moment was recorded on a camera attached to her helmet, capturing the full sequence of events as they happened. Sharing the footage later, she described the experience in a post, writing: “Happy-2.Birthday to me”.
Authorities confirmed that she survived the incident with only minor bruises and no serious injuries. Police in Salzburg stated that the Cessna was being flown by a 28-year-old pilot, who reportedly said he only noticed the paraglider at the last moment and was unable to avoid the collision.
