KOTA KINABALU: A paraglider died when he crashed on a roadside concrete wall, after losing control of his chute that caught a wind draft here.
The 26-year-old paragliding pilot had just completed a tandem jump or flight with a passenger from the popular Kokol Hills in Manggatal when the freak accident occurred about 5pm on Friday.
He apparently managed to disengage his passenger, releasing the harness upon landing, but a wind draft reportedly caused him to lose control of his chute, which was still attached, as it drag him to the wall near Kampung Keliangau in Manggatal.
Acting district police chief Superintendent Kalsom Idris said the paraglider succumbed to the fatal crash at the concrete wall which was part of the Pan Borneo Highway Project.
"The paraglider died at the scene," she said and confirmed the passenger was safe, having been released from his harness after completing the jump from Kokol Hills at a height of about 800m.
"There were no elements of foul play but the remains of the victim was sent for post mortem at the Queen Elizabeth hospital here," Kalsom added.
Tandem jumps from the hills is a popular activity in the vicinity and such flights are regulated by the Civil Aviation department.