Paraglider in his 60s dies in crash along Florida’s Gulf coast, police say

A paraglider in his 60s was killed in a crash on Florida’s Gulf Coast on the morning of April 14, according to the sheriff’s department.

Another paraglider called authorities to report the man’s crash at around 8 a.m. April 14, according to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office.

The department’s major crimes unit responded to an area near the Coral Creek Airport in Placida, according to a post on the department’s Facebook page.

A sheriff’s office spokeswoman told McClatchy News that the paraglider was a man in his 60s and that authorities had the area blocked off for the investigation. She said no further information was immediately available. The identity of the paraglider had not been released.

Paragliding is a sport that involves a pilot sitting in a harness suspended from a large, curved fabric wing,” according to Global Paragliding. Pilots launch themselves by running and jumping to obtain lift, and they can then steer themselves and glide over long distances

Placida is about 100 miles south of Tampa.

This story was originally published April 14, 2023 at 12:19 PM with the headline "Paraglider in his 60s dies in crash along Florida’s Gulf coast, police say."