DRAPER, Utah — A man died in a paragliding accident Tuesday after he and a hang glider collided in the air in Draper.
Draper Police said they received a report around 5 p.m. of a mid-air collision between a tandem paraglider and a single-person hang glider. The accident happened at the Salt Lake County Flight Park, which is near Point of the Mountain.
The three people involved were found on the ground about 1/8 of a mile south of the launch pad.
Paragliding involves using a parachute-like device with no structure, while hang gliders have a rigid metal frame, forming a fixed-wing-like structure with fabric stretched over it.
Officials said they initially believed the person flying the hang glider was treated at the scene and released, but a later update said they were taken to the hospital with "severe" injuries.
The passenger of the paraglider was taken to the hospital by an AirMed helicopter. Officials said she was in critical condition, but was at least awake during the transport.
The man flying the paraglider died from his injuries at the scene. He was identified as 44-year-old Joshua Ellison.
An investigation is underway to determine what happened. So far, they said witnesses made it sound like it was an accident, but it hasn't been determined exactly what went wrong.
A Draper Police spokesperson said Ellison was a very experienced paragliding instructor. The hang glider pilot's skill level is not known at this time.
The spokesman also said this type of accident is surprising and virtually unheard of. Usually, he said, injuries — or the rare instance of a death — happen on hard landings.
