Lightning bolt killed paraglider

* February 21, 2007 THE body of Chinese champion paraglider He Zhong Pin floated only a hundred metres from his German colleague Ewa Wisnierska at the cruising altitude of jumbo jets. But Ms Wisnierska, who was caught in the same storm conditions - would have been unable to see him in the pitch black conditions. The Newcastle Coroner's office released preliminary autopsy results yesterday that confirmed the 42-year-old was killed by a lightning bolt last Wednesday. Mr He, 42, was found in rugged terrain 75km from where he launched his paraglider the day after the accident. The Beijing man and Ms Wisnierska were training near Mt Borah in northern NSW for the World Paragliding Championships, to start in Manilla on Saturday. More than 200 pilots were training that day, but landed before the storm hit. Event organiser Godfrey Wenness said Mr He and Ms Wisnierska attempted to fly between two storms when they were caught. "Forces of nature tend to be unpredictable," Mr Wenness, a former world record holder, said. Mr He's altitude instrument stopped at 5900m, indicating the point where he was hit by lighting. Animations of data taken from both his and Ms Wisnierska's GPS trackers showed his body was floating about 100m away from her during the ordeal. A brief is being prepared for the Gunnedah coroner.

 

< Prev		Next >