Hiker thanked for saving crashed paraglider’s life on Vancouver Island

A daring rescue unfolded on a rock face in the Cowichan Valley after a paraglider crashed shortly after taking off.

Search and rescue teams are thanking a brave hiker who stepped in to help a paraglider who crashed into a cliff on Vancouver Island Friday.

North Shore Rescue was called out to help Cowichan Search and Rescue volunteers extract the paraglider from Mount Prevost in the late afternoon, after ground and rope rescue teams were unable to reach the man due to “extremely complex terrain,” the Vancouver Island-based organization said.

NSR says it flew to the area in a Talon helicopter with two veteran hoist technicians who are emergency room physicians aboard.

While rescuers were en-route, a man hiking in the area rock-climbed to the paraglider, who was “hanging unconscious in his harness.” The bystander cut the cords, removed the paraglider’s harness and provided first aid, “likely saving this person’s life,” NSR said.

“The location was a challenging one with significant fall potential,” NSR wrote in a social media post Friday. “This bystander rendered aid at risk to himself and we would like to extend our thanks for his life-saving actions.”

The helicopter lowered the technicians one at a time onto a ledge, and they packed the paraglider into a stretcher and hoisted him away, where he was handed over to paramedics. NSR added the latter half of the rescue was performed in the dark with night-vision goggles.

“We also would like to extend our great appreciation to the civilian rock climber (Matt) who became a first responder under the direction of a high-level first aider and stayed on site until our patient was lifted out,” Cowichan Search and Rescue wrote, in its own social media post.