Chinese paraglider Peng Yujiang is lucky to be back on the ground after surviving a powerful updraft that suddenly lifted him into the upper atmosphere above the Qilian Mountains in China’s Gansu Province Saturday.
Peng reportedly went soaring 8,598 meters or about 28,208 feet without oxygen; amateur video shared by Chinese state media showed Peng with ice covering his face and clothes while drifting in the clouds.
“I had just bought a second-hand paragliding harness and wanted to test it, so I was conducting ground parachute shaking. After a while, the wind suddenly picked up and lifted me into the air. I tried to land as soon as possible, but I failed,” Peng told Chinese state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) Tuesday.
“I found myself surrounded by cumulonimbus clouds and trapped inside. It was terrifying — everything around me was white. Without the compass, I wouldn’t have known which direction I was heading. I thought I was flying straight, but in reality, I was spinning. Eventually, I managed to fly out toward the northeast,” he added.
Peng says he was shocked to learn he reached such a high altitude and believe he might have briefly lost consciousness, state media reports.
Peng has been paragliding for more than four years and is a certified B-level paraglider which requires at least 20 days of flight experience, per CCTV.
He was able to control his paraglider using his compass and radio communication with teammates despite having nearly frozen and numb hands, state media reports.
“As soon as I came out of the clouds, I was very excited because I had survived. The scariest moment was when I tried to pull out of the spiral and failed and when the canopy nosedived. It’s still frightening to think about,” Peng told CCTV.
“I’m not sure about the future, but for now I definitely won’t fly for a while,” he added.
