A paraglider had a very close call after getting tangled in a stray balloon and almost dying. Talk about the odds! When you're soaring above the ground, the last thing you want to happen is a complication.
However, that's exactly what happened to 27-year-old Michael. Just check out his viral TikTok video below. The paraglider was flying high when a large 6 balloon drifted directly in front of him. It almost got caught in his equipment and caused him to plummet from the sky.
@thenullhypothesis Bumped into a birthday balloon as I flew into the Sunset… #Paramotor #RealFairy #Paragliding #flying #ppg
Paraglider Almost Dies
"Shortly after takeoff, I spotted something drifting across the sky," Michael told the Daily Dot. "At first I thought it was another pilot, then maybe a big bird, but as I got closer it turned out to be a rogue n°6 birthday balloon."
The paraglider said he thought the balloon was a big bird at first. He didn't realize it was a balloon at first. The paraglider tried to catch the balloon with his feet, but the string became tangled in the suspension lines. It's the first time he's come this close to dying.
"Most of the time, my flights are calm and filled with beautiful scenery," he said. "The craziest thing I'd experienced until now was when some cows stole my equipment, and I had to run nearly 2 miles to chase them down and get it back."
Fortunately, he managed to land without incident.
"Luckily, I landed safe and sound, balloon in tow," he told the outlet. "It now lives in my living room, and I've even painted a little balloon kill marker on the side of my paramotor as a tongue-in-cheek trophy."
While it was a rare situation for Michael, others told the paraglider that balloons are more common than you think. They randomly get stuck places after getting let go.
"One thing that's really stood out from the responses is how many farmers commented about helium balloons ending up in their fields and harming livestock. It's highlighted just how much of an environmental hazard these balloons can be," he said.
