- Title: MEXICO: Swiss paraglider dies during competition
- Date: 3rd February 2009
- Summary: VALLE DE BRAVO, MEXICO (FEBRUARY 1, 2009) (REUTERS) PARAGLIDER SETTING OFF VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WATCHING AND APPLAUDING VARIOUS OF PARAGLIDER (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FRANK BROW, PARAGLIDER, SAYING: "It's very sad to a have a friend and a participant lose his life. This competition is a risky sport so it's very important to know how much risk to assume. In these conditions, in this sport, there aren't limits and practically no errors." MAN READING NEWSPAPER ABOUT ACCIDENT VARIOUS OF PERSON PARAGLIDING (SOUNDBITE) (English) TERRY CASTLE, PARAGLIDER WHO WITNESSED ACCIDENT, SAYING: "That's a very good question. We've all asked each other, 'What would we do in the same situation?' I watched the whole thing happen and what he did, I'm afraid to say, I might have done what he did: try to fly it straight. He didn't seem like he was high enough to throw his rescue but I've talked to a few people that said maybe if he would have done it (taken his reserve parachute out) right away, he wouldn't have been in the predicament he was. And so it's a good lesson for all of us to learn because it could have been any one of us and I'm afraid to say, I might have done what he did." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE PARAGLIDING
- Embargoed: 18th February 2009 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Mexico
- Country: Mexico
- Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
- Reuters ID: LVA3AZ7N1WZ4JN6YPWNWEZ46IHP9
- Story Text: Eleventh International Paragliding competition marred by death of 25-year old Swiss participant.
A Swiss paraglider died during a paragliding competition in Mexico on Friday (January 30).
Twenty-five-year old Stefan Schmoker was competing in the 11th World Paragliding Competition (FAI) being held in Valle de Bravo, located 154 km to the south of Mexico City.
Two hours after taking off at noon local time to complete the competition´s sixth stage, Schmoker was aiming to pass over a cliff but his glider failed to open up enough to clear him over the cliff face.
Paraglider Terry Castle witnessed the accident and said Schmoker's predicament was difficult.
"I watched the whole thing happen and what he did, I'm afraid to say, I might have done what he did: try to fly it straight. He didn't seem like he was high enough to throw his rescue but I've talked to a few people that said maybe if he would have done it (taken his reserve parachute out) right away, he wouldn't have been in the predicament he was," she said.
The impact occurred over the Temascaltepec Municipality.
Fellow competitors who were nearby from Austria, Australia and South Africa rushed to the scene, but arrived too late.
One hundred and fifty pilots from 44 countries are taking part in the championships that began Sunday (January 25). - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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