Dramatic moment paraglider trapped for THREE hours is rescued after getting caught in power lines
- Footage shows the man hanging above ground in California on Wednesday
- The unnamed man was facing the ground with the wires as his only support
- He got stuck trying to land at Yuba County airport during a training exercise
- Power was cut to those nearby for a few hours while crews worked to save him
- Fire crews use a cherry picker to reach him before onlookers cheered his rescue
This is the incredible moment a paraglider trapped for three hours in power lines in northern California was rescued on Wednesday night.
The man, who has not been named, was facing the ground with the wires as his only support when first responders arrived, according to officials with the Olivehurst Fire Department.
He got stuck while trying to land at the Yuba County airport during a training exercise, officials said. No major injuries were reported.
Power was cut to the surrounding area for a few hours while crews worked to save the man, authorities said.
The unnamed man was facing the ground with the wires as his only support and footage from the scene shows the man hanging above ground, with his legs dangling
The paraglider got stuck trying to land at Yuba County airport during a training exercise
Incredible footage shows as the man hangs above ground, with his legs dangling several feet up.
Fire crews use a cherry picker to reach the man after turning off electricity in the area. Power has since been restored following the rescue.
Onlookers cheer as the man made it back to safety as he thanked them while being led away in a stretcher.
‘The difficulty was making sure that the lines were de-energized to make sure that our firefighters were safe before we could make patient contact,’ said Battalion Chief Randy York.
‘Letting him know to stay in contact with the aircraft and not to reach out and touch us so that the aircraft stayed still,’ York said. ‘He’s exhausted but all his vitals seem to be stable.’
Fire crews use a cherry picker to reach the man after turning off electricity in the area
Onlookers cheer as the man made it back to safety and was led away in a stretcher
It is understood the man had been out with his instructor when he became tangled in the power lines.
Eyewitness Jimmy Comstock told Fox 40: ‘I seen two of them coming.
‘And one went that way and the other come over the trees, dipped down in the road then tried to get out of the road and then hit the wires.’