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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/27/hang-glider-forced-cling-on-for-his-life-launching-unattached-footage
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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Hang glider forced to cling on for his life after launching unattached | Hang glider forced to cling on for his life after launching unattached |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A first-time hang glider has spoken of how he was left holding on for his life after his pilot failed to fasten him to the glider. | A first-time hang glider has spoken of how he was left holding on for his life after his pilot failed to fasten him to the glider. |
| Chris Gursky was forced to hang on to the glider with his arms for more than two minutes or face a probably fatal fall to earth. | Chris Gursky was forced to hang on to the glider with his arms for more than two minutes or face a probably fatal fall to earth. |
| The incident happened in October while Gursky and his wife Gail were on holiday in Interlaken in Switzerland, according to Cross Country Magazine. | The incident happened in October while Gursky and his wife Gail were on holiday in Interlaken in Switzerland, according to Cross Country Magazine. |
| On Monday Gursky posted the footage to YouTube under the title “Swiss Mishap”, including the warning: “Content may be disturbing to some. Including my wife!” | On Monday Gursky posted the footage to YouTube under the title “Swiss Mishap”, including the warning: “Content may be disturbing to some. Including my wife!” |
| Gursky, a Florida-based vehicle parts manager and photographer, told his story on Facebook soon after the incident. | |
| “Gail and her pilot took off first … looked cool as hell. Then my pilot and I lined up for take-off. We waited a bit for the updraft to pick up and then we ran till we left the side of the 4,000ft mountain edge. | “Gail and her pilot took off first … looked cool as hell. Then my pilot and I lined up for take-off. We waited a bit for the updraft to pick up and then we ran till we left the side of the 4,000ft mountain edge. |
| “I was expecting to level out above the pilot as we went, but quickly discovered that my harness was not attached to the hang glider or anything else.” | “I was expecting to level out above the pilot as we went, but quickly discovered that my harness was not attached to the hang glider or anything else.” |
| He went on: “My body weight shifted straight down and I found myself hanging on for my life. I remember looking down and thinking, this is it. I was losing grip with my right hand, that was holding onto a strap on the pilot’s right shoulder … My left hand was on the cross bar that was ultimately the landing gear, with a wheel on each side.” | He went on: “My body weight shifted straight down and I found myself hanging on for my life. I remember looking down and thinking, this is it. I was losing grip with my right hand, that was holding onto a strap on the pilot’s right shoulder … My left hand was on the cross bar that was ultimately the landing gear, with a wheel on each side.” |
| In the video, the pilot appears to have trouble bringing the glider in for a quick landing at this point, and the two end up flying over a steep wooded hillside. | In the video, the pilot appears to have trouble bringing the glider in for a quick landing at this point, and the two end up flying over a steep wooded hillside. |
| Gursky said he began to lose his grip but held on until the pilot was able to land in a field. | Gursky said he began to lose his grip but held on until the pilot was able to land in a field. |
| “I looked down to see my feet hit first, which ripped me off at about 45 mph as it was a hot landing and I was under the landing gear.” | “I looked down to see my feet hit first, which ripped me off at about 45 mph as it was a hot landing and I was under the landing gear.” |
| He said that he fractured his wrist in the incident and tore his left bicep tendon. But he told Cross Country Magazine he bore the pilot no ill will. “I am past that phase. He did all he could and more. He is a good guy.” | He said that he fractured his wrist in the incident and tore his left bicep tendon. But he told Cross Country Magazine he bore the pilot no ill will. “I am past that phase. He did all he could and more. He is a good guy.” |
| Gursky has been contacted for comment. | Gursky has been contacted for comment. |
| Europe | Europe |
| Switzerland | Switzerland |
| Florida | Florida |
| Air transport | Air transport |
| Extreme sports | Extreme sports |
| news | news |
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