Mounties in Alberta have reported a fatal paragliding accident involving a crash into a mountain earlier this month. RCMP Cpl. Gina Slaney stated that officers received a report of the incident near Ha Ling Peak, a popular mountain near Canmore, on January 18. The male paraglider was pronounced dead at the scene, and while the crash is not believed to be criminal, it remains under investigation.
Slaney described the situation where a caller reported the paraglider hitting the mountainside, leading to the dispatch of emergency services. RCMP officers managed traffic control as Kananaskis Emergency Services assisted the victim. Autopsy results are awaited for further insights into the incident.
According to Michael Plenits, press secretary for Alberta’s minister of forestry and parks, hang-gliding and paragliding are activities regulated at the federal level. Two designated takeoff and landing locations for these air sports exist in Kananaskis, with Ha Ling Peak being one of them. Alberta Parks collaborates with the Alberta Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association and other partners for overseeing these activities.
Plenits mentioned that rescue teams from Alberta Parks and conservation officers were also involved in responding to the paragliding crash.