A man’s peaceful paragliding along the scenic route of the Franschhoek Pass on Sunday morning soon came to a crashing halt when he tumbled to the earth.
Private medical responder Kurt Maske said his brother Kyle, also a paramedic, responded to the scene 10 minutes after the emergency was logged at about 09:00.
“The accident was reported on the pass near the Franschhoek Estate,” he said. “It was a male patient, age unknown. He was injured very badly as he suffered an open fracture on the lower part of his leg.
“The cause of the accident was unknown, but he had been transported to Mediclinic Stellenbosch.”
Kyle Maske said it was a lovely sunny day when he assisted the injured paraglider.
“On the ground the wind was quiet, but I don’t know if there might have been any top-wind conditions.
“The man broke his ankle and lost quite a lot of blood on the scene in the bushes.
“He was dizzy from the fall but was conscious while we treated him.”
He told Paarl Post an airlift was initially planned, but the rescue team managed to carry the patient out to a waiting ambulance, which transported him to hospital.
Responding to enquiries about the incident, Franschhoek police spokesperson Sgt Marize Mentoor said the police had no record of the incident.
