GRAND COUNTY, Utah Jan. 7, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — What began as a breathtaking winter flight over Utah’s snow-covered red rock country took a disastrous turn Monday afternoon when a paraglider crashed shortly after launching near the Castleton Tower area.
Members of the Grand County Search and Rescue team along with members of Grand County Emergency Services and Classic Air Medical were called to the scene just before 4 p.m., after dispatchers received a 911 call saying the pilot of the paraglider was seriously injured in a crash.
With temperatures set to drop into the 20s overnight, first responders rushed to the crash site, which was in “difficult terrain” and “required a technical rescue,” according to a statement posted on social media by Grand County EMS.
The Grand County SAR team managed to reach the injured pilot, who was treated at the crash site before being flown by helicopter to St. Mary’s Medical Center.
The name of the paraglider pilot has yet to be released.
Gephardt Daily will update this story as more information becomes available.
