The 51-year-old from Padua took off in tandem with a friend, then was unable to hold on to the sail with only the strength of his arms. A month ago another tragedy in the same spot
BAG OF GRAPPA. After securing his flight companion, he did not tie himself up and, immediately after take off, he remained hanging from the bar, falling into the void after a surge of the two-seater hang glider. In this way, a Paduan hang glider pilot lost his life, falling for more than 300 meters into the void. As soon as the take-off took place from the Col del Puppolo delta platform at 850 meters above sea level, the dramatic situation was immediately clear, with the man untied, hooked to the strength of his arms, until he couldn’t make it anymore and gave up. the grip disappearing into the woods below.
The hang glider continued without commands, and then fell among the trees, leaving the woman suspended in the void, among the branches of a plant, fortunately without consequences for her. When the alarm went off at about 2.30 pm, the Treviso emergency helicopter identified the sail and landed with a 30-meter winch, doctor, nurse and helicopter rescue technician, and then flew to board a team of the Alpine Rescue of the Pedemontana del Grappa to start the search for the pilot.
The helicopter rescue technician climbed up the tree and, after having secured her and freed her from the constraints, lowered the woman to the ground, to entrust her to a station nurse.
The rescuers, who were then joined by other teams, set off with the difficult and demanding patrol of the area. With the support of a video of the last moments, the teams circumscribed the area and moved inside a gully. Shortly before 5pm, the man’s lifeless body was found at the foot of some trees. At 5.50 pm the doctor managed to reach the place and proceed with the ascertainment of the death.
On 10 April another hang glider crashed 50 meters below the Col Del Pupolo launch pad. On that occasion, Enzo Giordani, 83 years old from Montebelluna, lost his life.