A 55-year-old paraglider, Peng Yujiang, from Gansu province, China, found himself in a perilous situation last week when a routine equipment test unexpectedly turned into a near-life-threatening ascent. Intent on refining his skills, Mr. Peng's intentions were far from the harrowing reality he would shortly face.
On Saturday morning, during what was supposed to be "ground handling training" at approximately 3,000 meters (around 10,000 feet), a sudden, strong gust of wind whisked him upward into the Qilian mountain range. Ultimately, he soared to heights of nearly 8,600 meters (over 28,200 feet), nearly equivalent to the height of Mount Everest.
Video footage, later disseminated through social media and state media outlets, captured his alarming journey, depicting Peng's face and body enveloped in frost and ice. "I felt the lack of oxygen," Peng recounted in a video post-incident. He described struggling to communicate via radio, with frozen hands and a swiftly deteriorating situation.
Despite his experience, the unexpected ascent rendered him unable to control his glider as the powerful draft lifted him above the clouds—a situation that had dire implications for his safety. The local sporting authority responded by issuing a six-month ban on Peng's participation in the sport for swimming above prescribed safety protocols.
