A paraglider had a terrifying encounter with Mother Nature while preparing for a flight in New South Wales, Australia.
The man, who was visiting from overseas, was setting up his flight gear with 40 others from a popular launch spot on Mount Borah in Manilla, when suddenly a dust devil hoisted the paraglider into the air, flinging him over the cliff.
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In the video, filmed by the man’s wife, the dust devil is seen sweeping up the paraglider, sending him swirling uncontrollably into the air.
Other pilots watched in horror before scrambling to secure the launch mats from the destructive dust devil.
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In the video, his wife can be heard screaming in terror as her husband is flung about in the updraft of air.
The man appears to remain calm throughout the terrifying ride, and eventually regains control of the glider despite the surprise take off.
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Chief flying instructor at Manilla Paragliding Godfrey Wenness confirmed to Storyful that the pilot glided away in control and continued on a “relatively uneventful” five-hour flight landing 180 kilometres away.
“I never want to fly again,” the distressed woman can be heard saying in the video after learning her husband was okay.
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Dust devils are the visible rotating core of the intense updrafts of air and usually occur on hot, dry days in certain atmospheric conditions, sometimes developing on mountain tops.
The source of the video wished to remain anonymous.
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