Shocking video footage shows aerobatic paraglider Kevin Philipp’s near-death experience as his glider lines become entangled and he plummeted toward the ground.
Philipp struggled mid-air as the lines continued to wind around the parachute, making it impossible for him to open it and come to a safe landing. The situation looked very dire and a horrific crash landing seemed imminent, when suddenly, a mere second or two before he hit the ground, Philipp managed to pry open his rescue parachute.
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The entire incident was captured on video, which Philipp shared on social media Monday. The crisp footage showed him gliding thousands of feet in the air, and as he attempted to find a solution to save his life. The tangle around the main parachute continued to worsen.
The one-minute-long video clip showed Philipp’s ongoing efforts to straighten his lines, but it quickly became evident that the solution wasn’t a plausible one. After repeated efforts to regain control of the main parachute, Philipp turned his attention to the rescue parachute, which seemed challenging to locate and difficult for him to grab on to.
A continuous struggle ensued as precious time was quickly running out.
After many failed efforts to open the rescue parachute, Philipp’s quick thinking kicked in, and he began ripping the bag containing the chute. It finally opened and immediately jerked him up higher, just as he was about to crash to the ground. (RELATED: REPORT: Man Dies After Walking Into Helicopter Blades)
Paraglider Kevin Philipp is lucky to be alive after his glider lines became badly entangled, sending him plummeting to the ground, before deploying his rescue chute a second before impact. https://t.co/Su07Vzipqg
— TMZ (@TMZ) August 2, 2022
“Oh my God!” Philipp yelled as he made a heavy landing right into a small tree.
Philipp posted the video on YouTube, alongside the message that “strong turbulence” caused the lines to tangle.
“The falling speed increased a lot due to the twisting wing. Very last chance was to manually open the rescue package. Estimated time left about 1 second This was not the day to die!” Philipp said.