Dramatic moment paraglider flown to safety after crashing into bushlands

Dramatic footage has emerged of the moment a paraglider was winched to safety after becoming stranded in a 10m tree in thick bushland.

Wild footage has revealed the moment Victoria Police winched a paraglider to safety after becoming stuck in a tree in regional Victoria.

Emergency services were called to Mount Mittamatite in Corryong, close to the NSW and Victorian border, about 3pm on Monday, February 3, after reports a paraglider had performed an emergency landing and became stuck in a tree.

“The woman became stuck in a 10m tree and was unable to free herself due to the height and strong wind,” a Victoria Police statement read.

The paraglider was stranded in the thick bushlands near the Victoria/NSW border.

Police informed the search and rescue squad (SAR), which specialises in vertical rescues, flying members in from Melbourne to rescue the woman.

Four members of the SAR squad were winched to a nearby location and hiked 300m up the rugged terrain, which was blanketed by thick bushland, eventually reaching the site and locating the stranded woman.

Search and rescue members winched her to safety.

Stunning footage of the moment shows the orange paraglider’s wing and ropes scattered among the bushland.

One SAR member climbs the 10m tree and secures a roping system around the woman, lowering the paraglider to the ground before she could be lifted back up to safety.

The woman was winched up to the helicopter about 8.40pm.

The woman was winched to safety and did not require medical treatment.

Despite the emergency landing into the tree and dealing with strong winds, the woman did not require medical treatment.

Inspector James Dalton said the rescue was “complex”.

“This rescue was complex – we had a paraglider stuck at height, in rugged terrain and on top of that, strong wind made it challenging for the air crew,” he said.

“Thankfully, our highly skilled search and rescue police were able to get there quickly with assistance from the air wing.

“It’s always a great day at work to rescue someone in need.”

Originally published as Dramatic moment paraglider flown to safety after crashing into bushlands