Paraglider crashes into river near Eagle; rescued by passing rafters
Provided
EAGLE — A paraglider crashed into the Eagle River near the Eagle County Fairgrounds Friday morning, launching a multi-jurisdictional rescue response.
The accident happened at approximately 9 a.m. Nearby rafters assisted first responders by pulling the victim from the water and placing him on their raft. First responders made contact with the raft carrying the victim near the Draggin’ A Ranch located a couple of miles down river from the crash site. The victim was transported to a nearby hospital. The condition of the victim is unknown.
Local law enforcement personnel were sent to remove the paragliding equipment from the Eagle River near the west end of the gravel pit west of Eagle. The equipment was located on a sandbar in the river and was visible to rafters passing by the area.
The Eagle County Sheriff’s Office, Vail Mountain Rescue Group, Greater Eagle Fire Protection District, Gypsum Fire Protection District and Eagle County Paramedic Services worked together on this incident and the law enforcement agencies offer their thanks to the rafters who assisted with the rescue.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board were notified of this incident and may conduct an investigation.
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