DRAPER, Utah, Oct. 17, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — One man has died and two people were injured in a collision mid-air Tuesday between a paraglider and a hang glider.
The mishap came just after 5 p.m. over the Draper Flight Park, 15300 S. Steep Mountain Drive in Draper, and all three involved apparently also hit the ground after colliding, said Draper Police Lt. Mike Elkins.
A man and a woman were tandem paragliding together during the collision with the hang glider, he said. The woman was transported by Air Med helicopter to a hospital in critical condition, but was awake when transported, Elkins said.
“The male with her did not survive his injuries,” he said.
Family has been notified and his name is being released, Joshua Ellison, 44, a well-known paraglider instructor.
Elkins said he was apparently involved in taking the woman on a first-ever jump together on a single paraglider.
The hang glider suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene.
A paraglider is a larger version of a parachute, chambered and designed to fly longer. A hang-glider is a fixed wing attached to a practitioner, both wind-driven.
Federal Aviation Administration regulations are involved in the sport, he said, and will be involved with Draper PD in investigating the tragedy.
“Right now it just looks like a really bad accident,” he said.
Reconstruction of the incident would likely be difficult, he said, even with a lot of witnesses on the ground, likely many with cameras.
It’s a very popular area for chutists and gliders, he said. “It’s not unusual to see 30 or 40 of them in the air at the same time.”
