Chinese authorities are investigating an incident in which a paraglider was sucked into the clouds and carried more than 8,500m above sea level.
He survived the chilling ordeal but authorities are looking into potential regulatory violations, Chinese media outlet Global Times reported on Wednesday (May 28).
The man, known as Liu Ge, was paragliding in the Qilian Mountain region of Northwest China’s Qinghai and Gansu provinces on Saturday when he was caught in a “cloud suck” – a phenomenon where paragliders experience a significant lift.
The moment was captured on camera, showing his face and clothes covered in frost. He remained conscious throughout the video while controlling the parachute.
Liu was not wearing an oxygen mask and was seen to suffer from extensive frostbite.
He managed to control the parachute and landed safely in what local media reports are calling a miraculous survival.
“I just kept communicating over the radio the entire time,” he told local media.
