1 month Ago
Impromptu Departure Goes Awry
The 55-year-old was getting ready to test equipment at approximately 3,000 meters (9,842 feet) above sea level when he was caught by a strong updraft, referred to as "cloud suck," which hurled him up rapidly into a thick cloud formation. It happens when upward-rushing air inside a cumulonimbus cloud yanks the objects up, sometimes lethally.
The episode, which took place on Saturday, was filmed by a camera attached to Peng's glider, and it went viral on Douyin, a Chinese version of TikTok. In the chilling footage, Peng is seen clutching the controls of his glider with his face and clothing covered in frost as temperatures plunged to -40°C.
Struggle for Survival
The experience was "terrifying," Peng said -- at those altitudes, visibility was nonexistent except to the compass, he added. "Everything was white. I felt I was flying straight, but in fact I was rotating," he said to China Media Group.
There is very little oxygen at that altitude, and Peng believes he may have lost consciousness for a time on the way down. The scariest part, he said, was the recovery as the glider spiraled in the thin air.
Though he reportedly intended to fly as a demonstration, he never meant to actually launch into the air, state media reported, and suddenly high winds rose up and took him off his feet — and the situation became increasingly dire. But somehow, he landed safely, albeit dangerously.
Authorities Respond
Peng was suspended for six months for engaging in an unauthorized flight after the incident, and Chinese aviation authorities opened an investigation, the Global Times reported. He is said to have only intended to test the parachute for its fit and comfort on the ground.
His experience has garnered expressions of both concern and fascination on Chinese social media, emphasizing the risky, unpredictable aspects of extreme paragliding and the power of natural forces in high-altitude environments.
