Chinese Paragliders Terrifying Ordeal: Sucked 5 Miles Into Sky By Vortex, Stranded In -40°C Freeze...
A Chinese paraglider narrowly escaped death after being sucked nearly five miles into the sky by a powerful cloud vortex while flying above the Qilian Shan mountains in northern China. The dramatic incident, which occurred on Saturday, has prompted an official investigation. Liu Ge, the paraglider involved, recounted being abruptly lifted into the atmosphere to an altitude of approximately 26,400 feet — nearly double the height legally permitted under Chinese aviation regulations. The incident, known as "cloud suction," occurred shortly after he launched from a mountain 9,850 feet above sea level.
Trapped in extreme conditions, Liu said he was exposed to temperatures as low as -40°F and experienced severe oxygen deprivation. "I had trouble breathing, my hands were freezing, and I just kept communicating over the radio the entire time," he told local media. Without an oxygen mask, Liu said he clung to his harness, enduring intense frostbite until he managed a safe landing.
On May 24th, Chinese paragliding enthusiast Peng Yujiang took off from a launch point at approximately 3,000 meters in the Qilian Mountains of Gansu Province. He was then sucked into a cumulonimbus cloud, which carried him to an altitude of 8,589 meters.
At this height, the… pic.twitter.com/HenJYktYDK — China in Pictures (@tongbingxue) May 27, 2025
Footage of the incident, now circulating widely on social media, shows Liu's face and clothing coated in ice.
Experts said survival at such altitudes is rare. "Even at 6,500 feet, cold-weather gear is essential. At over 26,000 feet, it's life-threatening," said Ou, an experienced paraglider, speaking to the Global Times.
Authorities have launched a probe into the incident, noting that Liu did not have air traffic control clearance for his flight — a violation of China's national aviation sports regulations. Under current rules, paragliding is prohibited above 16,405 feet, even with a valid license.
Officials are now reviewing whether Liu's unsanctioned flight breached safety protocols and endangered restricted airspace.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
Nearly 70,000 evacuated in southern China as Typhoon Wutip triggers massive flooding
Nearly 70,000 people in southern China have been evacuated after heavy flooding caused by Typhoon Wutip , Chinese state media reported Wednesday. Vast areas of Zhaoqing city in Guangdong province were submerged, with floodwaters inundating shopfronts and covering roads, footage from state broadcaster CCTV showed. Rescuers pushed stranded cars out of the water and used dinghies to transport residents to safety. Other images showed rescuers wading through water while carrying stranded people on their backs. The flooding had affected 183,000 residents in Zhaoqing's Huaiji county, with the city mobilising more than 10,000 rescue personnel, state media outlet Xinhua reported. The flooding affected much of Guangdong province and the neighbouring Guangxi region.
Time of India
14-06-2025
- Time of India
Typhoon landed in China's Hainan island at severe tropical storm level
A typhoon changed its path and landed in southern China's Hainan island at late night Friday. Typhoon Wutip , landed in Basuo township at a severe tropical storm level in the city of Dongfang in Hainan province, according to Hainan Meteorological Service. Its maximum sustained winds is 30 meters (98 feet) per second. This is the second time in 70 years the island has the country's first typhoon in the year. Typhoon Wutip was forecasted to make landfall around noon Saturday on the Chinese mainland near the border between Guangdong province and the Guangxi region. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Talon Dos: Scholarships You Can Apply For (Start Now) College Scholarship | Google Search Search Now Undo Authorities in Guangdong province evacuated more than 10,000 people, closed schools and canceled flights, trains and vessels Friday. It is unclear if Typhoon Wutip has caused any deaths or injuries. Live Events Photos posted by a Chinese news outlet showed toppled trees and a strewn corrugated metal fence at a construction site in the city of Sanya, a popular beach resort on Hainan. All schools, construction sites and tourist attractions in Sanya were closed and flights were suspended at the city's airport, the official Xinhua News Agency said. A dozen crew members were rescued Thursday night from a cargo ship that called for help, Xinhua said. The crew were transferred to a rescue vessel in rough seas with 3-meter (10-foot) waves. Typhoon Wutip had maximum sustained winds of 119 kilometers (74 miles) per hour before it landed. Guangdong activated rescue boats and helicopters, and more than 49,000 fishing boats returned to port, Xinhua said. The provincial meteorological agency forecast heavy rain and said tornadoes were possible. Wutip means "butterfly" in Cantonese, which is spoken in Macao. Countries and the Chinese regions of Hong Kong and Macao contribute the names for storms during the typhoon season. The last time the island had the country's first typhoon landfall was in 2008 with Typhoon Neoguri. Neoguri means "raccoon" in Korean.
Time of India
13-06-2025
- Time of India
Over 16,000 evacuated as Typhoon Wutip threatens flash floods in China's Hainan
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Chinese authorities on the southern island of Hainan have evacuated thousands of people, closed schools and halted rail services ahead of the expected landfall later Friday of Typhoon Wutip , state media than 16,000 people have been moved from "construction sites, low-lying flood-prone areas and regions at risk of flash floods", Xinhua news agency said, while over 40,000 working on boats had been moved is expected to bring torrential rain exceeding 100 millimetres across six cities and counties as well as winds of up to 63 mph (101 kph), Xinhua has stopped high-speed rail services and its southernmost city of Sanya closed schools and tourist the first typhoon to make landfall in the country this year, formed over the South China Sea on Wednesday, the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) may make landfall again along the coast from western Guangdong to Guangxi on Saturday, maintaining "severe tropical storm intensity" before turning northeastward and gradually weakening, the CMA has endured spates of extreme weather events from searing heat and drought to downpours and floods for several summers country is the world's largest greenhouse gas emitter but also a renewable energy powerhouse, seeking to cut carbon dioxide emissions to net zero by rains last August triggered by Typhoon Gaemi, which moved from the Philippines and Taiwan to make landfall in eastern China, killed at least 30 people and left dozens missing.
