Peng Yujiang, a 55-year-old paraglider, found himself at 8,500m due to a rare updraft while testing equipment. Despite near-fatal conditions, he managed to survive, although he faces a six-month suspension for unauthorized flight.
Miraculous Survival: Chinese Paraglider Unintentionally Reaches 8,500m Altitude
Miraculous Survival: Chinese Paraglider Unintentionally Reaches 8,500m Altitude
A paraglider from China, Peng Yujiang, experiences a harrowing flight beyond the clouds, pulled by a powerful updraft.
A paraglider from China has narrowly escaped a life-threatening experience after being inadvertently lifted to an altitude of 8,500 meters (27,800 feet) in the Qilian mountains of north-west China. Peng Yujiang, aged 55, was originally on the ground testing his equipment when a powerful updraft, known as “cloud suck,” unexpectedly hurled him into the sky.
The entire ordeal was captured on a camera attached to Mr. Peng’s glider and later went viral on Douyin, the Chinese equivalent of TikTok. In the footage, Peng is seen grappling for control as his body becomes covered in ice crystals and visibility disappears. "It was terrifying... Everything was white. I couldn't see any direction," he recounted to China Media Group, highlighting the disorienting experience.
At such a high altitude, oxygen levels drop dangerously low, and temperatures can plummet to -40°C, similar to conditions faced at the peak of Mount Everest. Mr. Peng estimated he may have lost consciousness while plummeting back down. The most alarming part of his experience was reportedly trying to regain command of the spiraling glider amidst the chaotic conditions.
In light of this perilous incident, Chinese authorities are currently investigating, and Mr. Peng has been suspended from paragliding for six months due to the unauthorized nature of the flight. On that day, he had planned to simply assess the comfort and fit of his parachute on the ground but instead found himself caught in an unexpected and dangerous weather phenomenon.
