The paraglider crashed near Corn Du in the Brecon Beacons
Rescuers have pleaded with paragliders and hang-glider pilots to ring police if they get into difficulties to let them know they are safe.
It follows a major search yesterday, Sunday, involving more than 50 volunteer mountain rescuers, search dogs and an RAF helicopter after a paraglider was seen to crash near south Wales’s second-highest peak.
The man was spotted crashing near 873m (2,864ft) Corn Du in the Brecon Beacons, leading to a major rescue lasting six hours and involving four mountain rescue teams. But the man had managed to walk to safety, unknown to rescuers.
Brecon Mountain Rescue Team was joined in the operation by colleagues from Central Beacons and Longtown Mountain Rescue Teams, Western Beacons Mountain Search and Rescue Team and members of Search and Rescue Dogs Association South Wales.
An RAF helicopter from RMB Chivenor in Devon also took part in the search for the paraglider.
The search was only called off when the crashed flier updated his Facebook page about the incident, saying he’d been bruised and battered but had been able to get to safety himself.
Mark Jones, deputy team leader of Brecon MRT said: “It was a busy day in the mountains on Sunday and we are grateful to the member of the public who alerted the emergency services to the crashed paraglider.
“However we would ask anyone hang-gliding, paragliding or taking part in any other highly visible sport that if they suffer an accident that they dial 101 to let the police know that they are safe.
“We are also grateful to the flying community for their help in identifying the crashed paraglider. If he hadn’t updated his Facebook status we may still be searching now.”
Dyfed Powys Police officers also took part in the search.
lynn
17 April 2012it only takes a phone call to end the serch.if only people had brains.
Steve Thorpe
17 April 2012Bad idea. What if two pilots are downed around the same time and general location ( not uncommon at XC sites) and one is "ok" but the other suffers serious injury and is unconscious. Both incidents may be reported by the public but may easily be assumed to be the same incident by the authorities. The unhurt pilot calls in to announce he is okay and the rescue is called off. The other pilot dies.
I believe that here in the USA no one can cancel a 911 response except the responders themselves when they have satisfied themselves that there is no rescue action required.
Stadler
19 April 2012Plus - he clearly wasn't aware that a search was called. A well meaning member of the public saw him crash, but perhaps wasn't in a position to assess the severity.